Evil's Last Stand
by IrisatinetheVain
Summary: Iris reawakens to a world she hasn't seen in years. Her husband Mephiles is gone,so she attempts to go back in time to save him from whatever his fate would be. All of the villains had been forced into outer space by our mortal heroes, and the demons have been sealed up into the Flame Core by the immortal 'angels.' ( There will be a second part to this cuz it's long)
1. Chapter 1

She had no idea what was going on. She couldn't wake up. She couldn't dream. She knew something wasn't right. Her mate was missing too. Where was he? His aura... completely gone. Did he abandon her? Was he in another dimension? Whatever had happened, she didn't like it. beeping noises came from around her. Low humming is what her sensitive ears picked up on. This low, base line humming. She was getting mad at these predicaments she always seemed to find herself in.

She moved her arm. Did she really move? It felt like she hadn't in a long time. Mumbles through the barrier. Was she in a glass encasement? Did they think she was a spectacle to be marveled at?! She violently kicked out her leg. Her mind was starting to awaken. Her body responded to her thoughts. She flexed her claws, pressed them up against the glass. Nervous and angry mumbles come through. The encasement opens as the electricity goes out.

Her consciousness coming back must have short- circuited the machine. The liquid around her poured out of an opening. She wriggled around on the metal floor. Finding her strength, she stood up and opened her eyes. An older mortal clad in velvet purple smiled and took her hand. The other, rounder one stood by his hedgehog-like robot.

"I've been waiting for this day to come. Welcome back to life, Queen Irisatine. I have much to explain about this world you find yourself in..."


	2. Zone Jail

"Welcome back to life? I was never dead, I can't die." Iris said as the cloaked man sat her down at a metal table. The table had pieces of purple stone and the music box she was trapped in on it.

"forgive me, I did not mean it that way. It just took a while for your physical body to be properly healed. That holy blade did some damage to you." The man said as he lowered his hood. A mortal human in about his thirties was revealed.

"A mortal man clad in purple robes? Surely you can't be a member of my cult. I am not fond of... humans."

"Please allow me to explain why I do follow you. I was an orphan in my childhood days. Then my father picked me out of the group of children before him. He told me of a princess he had once met. A young yet powerful princess of Hell. She had gifted him a mirror after they had soon met and put him in charge of her cult. He was a orange kangaroo by the name of Jessie. Do you remember him?"

Iris thought back to when she had met the man in which he spoke of. "Yes I remember someone of that description. He was a novice inventor. He suited my tastes quite well."

"I hold the mirror now. He passed away five years ago. Though you may not like me now, I promise I am loyal to you and will do your bidding." He kneeled before her, handing her the mirror.

She rubbed the glass with her fingers and gripped the gold handle firmly.

"I will hold your life to that promise."

 _(Picking it up from the ending of Hidden Possession.)_

The light entities contacted Zone Jail and let them know that their two new prisoners were to be picked up and ready for transport. The light beings were talking with a hologram of Warden Zobotnik, telling him how to handle them with caution.

"I'm a warden, in case you didn't know. I have all kinds of criminals here with many different skills and powers, I doubt these two will be any different."

"We aren't saying you **don't** know what you're doing. Just tell your employees that when they receive the objects they are to be handled with care. I want to make sure they stay safe in case of an emergency. Proper handling techniques can prevent such emergencies." The bigger light entity spoke as the smaller one ended the transmission.

Within an hour, zone cops were on the scene with a prisoner transport space craft. The zone cops were slightly confused why they were to be withholding these items instead of people. Definitely a first for Zone Jail. They didn't question aloud. They simply took the items, put them in crates, and had an older cop watch over it. At almost light speed, the vessel reached Zone Jail and touched down right outside the exercise yard.

The hexagon landing pad retracted and hid the craft under the floating prison. Quite the crowd was out today, wondering who the fresh meat was. One group of prisoners were the Destructix. In charge was the infamous Scourge the hedgehog, with his partner in crime girlfriend Fiona Fox.

"What have we here?" Scourge said as he rolled up a sleeve of his orange prison uniform. "New prisoners to beat on? Perhaps they can be allies, if they are truly worth my time."

Fiona went around to the other side of the fence, trying to get a good view through the barbed wire.

"I don't see prisoners coming out. But then why would they take the P.T. spacecraft for just cargo? Give me a couple more minutes to scope it out." Fiona looked closer.

One of the zone cops carried a strange looking scepter. A shadowy looking mist came out of it in places. The one behind him carried a purple box of sorts. Silver wisps came from this one. The cops too, carried the items like they were ticking bombs.

"No new people that I see. I think it's just some strange cargo."

"Strange how?"

"Well, it's not new equipment or anything prison related. It's what looks like a scepter and music box...?"

The zone cops carried the imprisoned Mephiles and Iris inside the first gate. Scanning the items of anything suspicious, they finally checked out to be fine and were brought inside through the other two gates. The hexagon shaped prison had simulated gravity inside for comfort measures of staff and prisoners. Zonic, Sonic's No Zone counterpart, met with the incoming party.

"The warden said he has a couple of rooms in solitary confinement for them. Tuck 'them' safely away in there. I'll be patrolling by later to see if they're behaving. Zhadow will also be accompanying me."

"Understood, Zonic." Zector and Znuckles said as they continued down to solitary.

The few convicts who were not outside in the exercise yard wondered what was going on with the cops. Some whispered they had found new weapons to use on them, others thought the items were new therapy tools for Zouge to 'conform' them to good. The cops did as they were told and put the two items in two seperate rooms. Confused by the strange symbols written on the walls and floors, they shut the doors tightly. Wrapping chains on the handles. Orders were to never open them unless told by a superior.

"At least that's two less mouths to feed. What was with those strange markings? Are these things... haunted?" Zector asked Znuckles quietly. He felt unease around the rooms now.

"Haunted? No I wouldn't think so. Something I don't want to find out though. Just leave it be. It's on a need to know basis."

A half hour later, Zonic and Zhadow came by to check on the 'inmates.' When they heard menacing whispers. A creepy, low voice came from the scepter room.

 _Soooooniiiiiic..._

 _Shaaaaadoooow..._

 _My Darknessssss will come..._

 _IT wIll consUme aLL..._


	3. Prison fights and Haunted Nights

"What in No Zone was that?" Zhadow asked as he looked into empty cells. "Was that just me?"

"No I heard something too. Did it come from a room?" Zonic asked as he peered into the scepter room. "Spooky."

"Spooky isn't the word. It's more like... unsettling."

"Alright hardass I guess it's unsettling. Still really weird though." Zonic said to himself as Zhadow raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a hardass?"

"I didn't say anything. Where did you hear that?" Zonic said as he looked into the box room.

"Oh it must have been the spooky voice" Zhadow retorted back. Zonic gave a smile.

"Nice to know you have a sense of humor."

"We should go back into the main part of the facility. They'll be bringing out lunch soon."

Zonic and Zhadow headed back down the hall and told the cop standing nearby to stay close to the rooms. The zone cop nodded and strolled in the hallway. While the prisoners filed in for lunch, a certain cat named Smalls crept up behind Scourge.

"Hey there Snot. I'm extra thirsty today. You know, actually weight lifting instead of snooping around and spying on the cops. If you wanna keep what you were doing hush hush, you better give me what I want."

Scourge looked at his carton of milk and bottle of water. He had grown resilient of his asshole inmates threats and handed over the milk.

"I want your water, too. You want me to get dehydrated?"

Scourge scoffed, a few of his sharp teeth peeked out from his lips. "Then what will I drink?"

"How about your piss? That's water." Smalls then laughed at his own joke, along with one of his gang that was around.

"How about you fuck off."

Smalls grabbed Scourge by his shortened quills and slammed his face into his lunch tray. He threw Scourge onto the long table and spit in his face.

"Wrong! How many times do I have to tell you to be polite?!"

Scourge kicked hard into Small's chest. "As many times as it takes to teach you your place!"

Small's gang and Scourge's crew got into a heated jail fight soon after. Fiona bashed in someone's nose so hard she broke it. The cops rushed over and used handcuffs on the ones who were fighting and took two away to the infirmary. Predator Hawk was one. He had some of his blue feathers ripped out and the rest were bloodied. Smalls spat a bit of blood onto the linoleum floor and was the other taken away.

"Watch yourself Snot. Next time I won't be so easy on you."

"Whatever Tubby, I can take you any day."

The small fight had gotten the rest of the prisoners worked up until lights out came. It had sparked small quarrels amongst other gangs, but no fights. The last thing they needed was wasted energy on what a limited amount of sleep they got. The two in the infirmary laid on beds next to one another with a white curtain in between for privacy. The cops herded the rest of the prisoners into their shared cells for the night and turned off most of the lights. Soon all were asleep accept the cops who looked into the cells every hour.

Most of the prison was air conditioned and was quite cold at night. Solitary was an exception. It was so hot down that wing the cops thought there might be a big fire burning. But then, the fire alarms would go off, and the sprinklers would turn on. Maybe the AC didn't work, or the vents were closed? Zhadow, doing a double shift today, asked maintence if the air was on down that part. It was.

Zhadow punched a code into the keypad and heaved the doors open. He automatically started to sweat through his uniform. Wiping sweat from his forehead and neck, he walked up and down the hall. Something told him to look in those two rooms. He rubbed his eyes and squinted inside.

All those weird markings from earlier and been blackened out by some substance. He called back to headquarters and told another cop to come down to his location. As the cop came rushing in, shadowy figures escaped out the doors. As soon as the heat came, it was gone. The hallway went back to a normal temperature.

"Strange... I'm not sure what I called in for was real." Zhadow said to himself. "My job is finally getting to me. I think I need sleep."

The cop shrugged his shoulders and told Zhadow to take it easy. He would take over for tonight. Zhadow left, inwardly embarrassed of himself. The figures made their way down to the infirmary. The hawk was still awake from his agony and rolled on his side. The thin mattress wasn't any relief. He got up from the bed and dragged his feet along to the bathroom. Sitting down on the toilet, he filled the sink basin with water and dipped his wings into it. Dried blood came off, making the water pinkish and metallic smelling. He splashed his face several times with clean water. There was a knock at the locked door.

Predator Hawk thought it might of been a nurse or doctor wanting to go.

"Almost done." He said as he turned the faucet off, and took a paper towel from the dispenser.

He unlocked the door and it flew open, knocking him onto the ground. He looked up to see a spirit staring at him. Slowly crawling backwards, he grabbed at the plunger and swung at it. It vanished and left the bird running back to his bed. He watched in horror as four spirits surrounded Smalls, closing in and making his escape impossible. They didn't do anything, but just watched. Then they all let out a horrendous scream, and blew the bed sheets into the air. The nurses came into the room to find all the windows flung open.

No one slept for the rest of the night. No one wanted to sleep with evil spirits about. The more superstitious took these events as bad omens. Another day soon dawned, and nerves were high strung.

What would this next, cursed night bring...


	4. Void

Everyone was quiet as they ate breakfast. No one spoke to one another until Smalls and Predator Hawk came in. Then little whispers of gossip accumulated. Smalls had a big bandage on his nose and the hawk had slings on his wings.

Horizont-Al and Verti-Cal were messing around in the activity room, doing what they normally did. Anyone within their sights they would go up to and 'greet.' Most notably Scourge, but not today. Today they were concerned with Void.

"Hey there pretty boy. What kind of hickie you making there?" Al said as Cal grabbed Void's shoulders.

Void, the embodiment of the dream world's well.. voids, held his wooden cube away from the once feuding gods.

"We won't take it Void. We're just interested in the blue carvings on it. Are they symbolic?"

"It's just a decorative piece. It means nothing." Void said as he sighed. "Why do you care?"

His black starry eyes concealed his never-ending sadness. If he ever got out of here, he could show it to Lumina. If they shared a moment with one another, maybe they could become one again. Trying to become his own entity was proving impossible. He was wearing thin.

"We'll just leave then. You'll never get anywhere if you keep moping. Smile every once and awhile."

"Easy for you two to say. Your both on friendly terms now. And friends. Forget it, just go! You don't know!" Void shoved past them and came back to his cell.

They had an hour of free time today since it was Sunday and he spent it hidden in his room. Slipping under his blue covers, he covered his head and tried to escape to the dream world. Of course his power inhibitor collar wouldn't allow that and he couldn't have any dreams. A familiar feeling started to come over him.

Why did he remember Mephiles when he looked at that shadow being cast? Was it because he was the only other prisoner who really **knew** emptiness? To just have yourself and never be... complete.

This was the first and last time he felt sympathy for another being outside of Lumina.

Now he feels nothing for no one. Void decided to live up to his name by becoming nothing but a void. One day that's what he'll be.

His burden was becoming too much. He would have become a soul less monster long ago if it wasn't for this collar he wore. He thanked the cops inwardly every day. He also cursed them. The darkness seemed to beckon to him, calling out in a voice he'd heard a few times before.

Following this weird hunch he had, he made sure to avoid any cops going about. Now he **had** to follow it to its origin. Making sure to hide from Zhadow and Zonic, Void slipped by and into the solitary hallway. He looked into the reinforced windows to find a scepter in one room, and music box in another.

 _Wait... Mephiles told me about a scepter he was trapped in before. Could this be it? Could they have recaptured him? If Mephiles is in the scepter, who's in the box? He said he had a brother...uh Iblis. Is the box Iblis?_

"Hey you! What are you doing here! This is off limits to prisoners!" Zonic said as he ran down the corridor. He knew going back around was a good idea.

"Crap!" Void said to himself. Then he whispered to the shadows. "I'll investigate later. Mephiles if this is you, I'll help you anyway I can. Later. I have to leave now."

The shadows seemed to understand and retreated back inside, letting him leave.

Zonic watched as the darkness pulled back inside the scepter. The items were... sentient?

Zhadow eventually caught Void after Zonic called back to headquarters and threw him in the last room of solitary.

"Those who don't obey the laws make their stay here even harder than what it is. Think about what you're going to do before you do it." Zhadow said as Void glared back at him.

"Well I can't do anything now. I should have been more careful." Void spoke to himself in anger. "DAMMIT VOID DO SOMETHING WITH YOURSELF!"

 _Don't be hard on yourself... It gets frustrating..._

Another voice! From where? Void looked around his little cell but didn't see anyone.

"Hello?"

 _Hello Void. I knew someone had to be lingering about somewhere._

"Who is this? How are you speaking to me?"

 _I'm a friend of a friend. As for who I am...well... I'm the music box._

"So your Mephiles' friend. And your also trapped in an item."

 _Yes._

"How are we going to get out of here? I was supposed to figure something out but Zhadow caught me."

 _Shadow is here? Why must they be everywhere we are._

"No not Shadow from Mobious, Zhadow from No Zone. It's one of his alternate selves."

 _Great. Fantastic. Superb. How do we make sure they don't interfere?_

Void remembered hearing the cops talk the other day of new, incoming prisoners. They were to be held here for a couple days before being transported to some other type of specialized prison. Where they were exactly going to be held, he didn't know. He didn't even know if they were going to slap control collars on them or not.

He just prayed that they would help.

 _If it would ultimately lead to their escape, I'm sure they would have no other choice. They would need an experienced person who knows the prison to guide them out._

"How...?"

 _The time for questions is over, Void. Right now we need to figure out a way to persuade our cherished guests that we are their best chance at escape. So... any ideas?_


	5. First Degree Deception

The minutes trickled by and soon formed hours. Void slept partially through the night. The two across the hall from him were very active until the wee hours of day. When the artificial lights were turned back on, the hall was as silent as a tomb. Around four in the morning, zone cops came in and shoved a tray of food under the door for Void. He sat there and ate slowly, keeping an ear out for any gossip.

"The prisoners all had a rough night yesterday. Wonder why they all had a bought of nightmares? Did something happen during exercise time that they all found shocking?" One cops said to another as they chewed on the cafeteria's plastic eggs.

"No. One even woke up in the middle of the night calling out to his deceased brother. He swore he saw him and was taken down to the infirmary with a mild fever. Possibly from his vivid dream. It is peculiar."

"Well a day ago the prisoner Predator Hawk swore he saw flying covers around his fellow inmate. Perhaps this prison is haunted."

"Believe that nonsense and you may find yourself spouting it as well."

Void was confused. Did Mephiles have something to do with this nightmare outbreak? He needed a moments peace to ask him.

The cops left after peeking in the inhabited solitary rooms.

Void whispered to a sliver of fallen shadow.

"Mephiles?"

The shadow curled in on itself and became an orb that rolled across the floor towards him.

 _Yes..._

"Did you hear that?"

 _Every word._

Void asked the question that bothered him most. "Did you do that?"

 _That isn't within my power._

"Well if you didn't, who has access to the dream world like that?"

The ball then rolled towards the other room. It disappeared when it his Iris' door.

"The other one..."

Cops swung open the iron doors and walked onto the hexagon-tile floor. Pushing the new inmates inside, Void watched through the food tray slot. A rabbit still dressed in noble robes and a black cat in a cloak wore magic shackles around their wrists. Judging by their mere presence when they came in, Void knew they were magic users. A few symbols of regalia were sewn into their clothes.

The tan furred female rabbit huddled close to the male black cat as the cops pointed to separate cells. Zespio grabbed the cat as Zonic grabbed the rabbit. Pushing them inside the cells, they locked the doors' many locks. The rabbit made a remark in disgust and the cat banged on the door many times.

"Enchantress, Black Death... keep it down or we will subdue you!"

They continued to bang on the doors angrily and let out a yelp of pain when the cops shocked them. Paralyzed, they laid on the floor breathing heavily. They remained paralyzed for a good ten minutes before they stirred. Pushing themselves off of the floor, they spoke to one another into the metal wall.

"We were just getting comfy in Angel Island and they come and snatch us up. I hate the magic enforcers for alerting every possible prison with five zones." Enchantress spoke with her hand to the wall, she knew Black Death's face would be there.

Black Death crooned back words of encouragement. "We will make a run for it once they shove us onto their ship next week. I will work on a spell for the unfortunates in our way. We will get back home."

Void started to dose off, noticing that Mephiles didn't want to speak now. As he went into his black screen sleep, a spirit glided past his cell. Enchantress' fur stood on end. She peered under the door and saw the trapped soul start to come through. Backing away to the other side of the room, she watched as threes souls split from the one. A rush of electrifying energy hit her in the face.

"What makes you bother me so? I have nothing for you to help you cross. Be gone!" The rabbit said as their hands crept around her shoulders and pulled at her strongly. She screamed.

 _Let her be!_

The spirits were pulled away from their victim in confusion. They wandered away to another part of the hallway.

 _Enchantress of Angel Island, they didn't hurt you did they?_

"No... Hello? Are you in the other cell?"

 _I am in the other cell. I have no name but I came here to see you. I knew you would be here._

"What? How could you have known? Why have you no name?"

 _You are one of the strongest magic users in the multi-verse. I am a manifestation of demonic power that wishes to instill myself within you. I have been seeking you out for a fortnight now. Alas, I had hoped the prison's security wasn't as good as it was._

Enchantress liked the praise this entity gave her. She preened her own feathers even more.

"Well I am pretty good at what I do. Ok I'm the best lady user within ten dimensions. I'm glad you agreed and tried to hunt me down. A manifestation of demonic power, you say? What kind of powers will you give me?"

 _Once I am opened, my lock taken off and chains broken, then I can give you all I hold. You will be able to summon the spirits I have enslaved, conjure up flying beasts, survive without food or water, creep into others dreams and change them, ect. I offer you many great things. You just need to open me up._

" Have you manifested into a container, box, crate...?"

 _Music box. When the music plays, I will transfer into you. Your cat lover has a scepter waiting for him to hold as well. He has to take off its binds though._

"You better have not told me lies. That's all I have to say." Enchantress remarked as a small flame of hope wormed it's way into her.

She was perfect at finding liars due to her magical abilities, though now diluted by the shackles she wore. It truly was genuine in this case. Plus, what would the manifestation have to gain if it sought her for weeks? If anything it would lose time and whatever else it found valuable. She agreed.


	6. Escape

The day went on and all of the prison was feeling the effects. The enslaved spirits caused everyone to look back over their shoulders. It was so cold in the cafeteria during lunch and supper, the guards had to set up tables outside so the prisoners could eat without catching a cold. Little taps on shoulders sparked up paranoia. Barely anyone ate their food.

No one wanted to go back inside. When the on edge cops called them in for the day, only half went in willingly. The rest had to be shoved in with long shields that formed a wall when the cops stood side by side. Even when the prison was thrown into pitch darkness, terrified words were spoken all night. This vicious cycle continued for days, wearing down the cops and turning the prisoners into sleep-deprived zombies.

Some of the weaker willed could only scream by the end of the third day. Almost like what they had witnessed could not be portrayed in words. The ones who dared sleep fell into comas. Every hour a new patient was taken down to the infirmary and had IVs pushed into their veins. Father along into the comas, most would have panic attacks and swing at the nurses.

Chaos swelled and blossomed. Adrenaline became the prisoners' second wind.

The shared pain the inmates had felt here made past rivals allies, and they banded together in a huge mass. In a rush, they attacked the authorities. Beaten, defeated, and with no resources left, the cops had been locked inside the cells. Fiona had found Scourge, Lighting Lynx, Sgt. Simian, and all the others who formed the current Destructix team. The prisoners escaping did not deter her from finding the group. Fiona pushed through the hordes until Scourge was begging to tag along.

"I'm glad you didn't decide to leave me behind, babe." Scourge said as he grabbed Fiona's hands and kissed her cheek. "Your still gonna keep me around, right?"

Fiona rolled her eyes and pushed Scourge away. "Stay close. I'm not going to hunt you down again if you get lost."

Lighning Lynx waved to them as he held the control collar key above his head.

"Come on! Let's get these tacky necklaces off."

They used the key to snap off the control collars and tossed them aside in garbage cans. The other villains searched the cop's headquarters for access cards to the spacecrafts. Once one card was found, they all fought over it and scrambled on top of each other to the ships. The Destructix didn't want to leave though. They wanted to gather materials and avoid the docks.

One of them, Scourge, had been in solitary before and he knew no one would want to go deeper into the prison. All the supplies and weapons they needed on their trip back to Anti Mobius would be there. They didn't know there were others here in the rooms.

"This is the most depressing part in the whole prison. It's silent as a crypt and has even worse food than the cafeteria. Imagine mystery meat as hard as bricks." Scourge said as he ripped the sleeves off his orange uniform. "I tried to keep myself a 'good boy' so I wouldn't come back here. Now I'm here **willingly**."

"At least your free now. We're all free." Lightning Lynx said as Predator Hawk chimed in.

"Yeah. Free to terrorize and rob whomever we like!"

Enchantress, Black Death, and Void all heard snickering in the hallway.

"Hello! Hello out there!" Enchantress yelled and pounded on the door.

Black Death slid his tail under the crack in the door and wiggled it around. Scourge heard Enchantress and unlocked the iron door. To his surprise, a very attractive rabbit came out. Scourge's tail waved happily. When he realized what he was doing, he dropped his tail. He didn't think Fiona saw.

"Thank you green one." Enchantress said as she extended her hand expectantly.

Scourge pulled her up as she yanked at the shackles until they broke into little pieces. Letting out her feline lover, she hugged him tightly as he purred loudly. Black Death was then told by his lady that they had special items waiting for them in the other rooms. Enchantress greedily grabbed the jeweled music box and fumbled with the lock.

Black Death held up his supposed scepter, examining the stonework. He tugged at the binds and grunted. Enchantress formed a magic key that could open any lock and was getting ready to claim her new powers.

 _You both should go in private to do this. It may leave you vulnerable if you're out in public._

Enchantress hid the unchained music box in a bag that she had kept on her person. She nudged Black Death to hide the scepter in his cloak. Scourge and his comrades kept heading down the hallway till they had found the weapons they were searching for, leaving the spell casters to their own device. The rabbit and cat scoffed at Void as they passed his cell and held their noses high in the air. Finding a secret room, they preceded to take out their treasures.

A seething dark cloud came out of the Scepter of Darkness and twisted its' way up the cat's legs. Mephiles then started to mock the cat as it squirmed in agony.

 _Your only making me stronger. This chaos that radiates from your inner self makes you a most... wonderful prize. Keep fighting me! Try to reject the takeover and SCREAM!_

Black Death was about to pass out as Mephiles' cynical laughter rang inside his skull. He soon found himself lost in a deep darkness and the laughter soon came from his own lips. Mephiles spoke quietly to himself.

"Another body brakes and gives into my control." He casts his unblinking eyes to the rabbit. "This will be your reward. Hope you like it."

Enchantress tried to slam the music box shut in fear, but the demon soul within burst from the purple container. Enchantress tried to run as fast as she could, but Mephiles had pinned her down with his tendrils.

"Struggle, weak prey. Struggle against my web of terror!"

Iris' soul entered the rabbit's body through her chest as the music box played it's wicked tune.

 _Lets see what I can do with you, host._

Mephiles now black eyes intensified as a tendril covered over the rabbit's screaming mouth.

"Don't cause a scene." He whispered into her shivering ear. "She needs you to relax after all. Close your eyes and _relax_."

His venom filled whispers strongly soothed her and she fell limp in his arms. Mephiles snuggled against the seemingly lifeless body, knowing that when she woke up it would be his love instead.

Enchantress' psychological will gave up. The words she heard from her captor sounded faded and far away.

 _You always prided yourself of being the best at what you do, capturing other's minds to enslave them. Tell me... How does it feel to_ _ **be**_ _the slave?_

A demonic laugh left her crying in the silence.


	7. Time Travel

Iris opened up her new blue eyes slowly like a newborn. Mephiles released her body and smiled. Iris parted her lips and spoke gently.

"Let's go back home."

"Sounds good. My patience has about run out with these fools." Mephiles remarked as he wove his arm through hers.

After Mephiles let Void out, they walked to a window overlooking the prison yard.

"This place could use some color. Couple nice crystal vases, clean crisp tablecloths... they could have done better." Iris remarked and shook her head. "I could have helped them make this a first rate prison."

Mephiles muzzle came up into a smile. "I don't think making this place beautiful was top priority. Of course, their security was flawed to a fault so they didn't concentrate on that."

"I'm glad you remembered me Mephiles." Void said as Mephiles laid a hand on his shoulder.

"We have some things in common, you and I. I've also known you in alternate dimensions as well. I'm happy to have you on my side, Void."

The demons and half-god wondered if one last spaceship, or pod was left for them. They ran into the Destructix at the docks just as they ejected a pod.

"The last pod was waiting for us. Ladies first." Mephiles said as he opened the latched door.

"I love you." Iris spoke sofltly into his ear, just audible enough for him alone to hear. Her muzzle lightly touched his cheek as she kissed him.

Mephiles grabbed her hand led her up the metal step. Void was touched by this. In a way, Mephiles seemed less brooding and cynical now. He seemed very calm and gentle towards this female. He was a bit envious truthfully. She possessed an eerie sense of beauty that fit Mephiles almost godlike profile perfectly. He could only imagine what her _own_ body looked like. Perhaps a bit risqué. No. He banished that thought as soon as it came to him.

Mephiles shot him a sly, devilish look back.

"You were thinking aloud. You didn't quite change your mind fast enough."

Void mumbled something incoherent and sat inside the small pod. Iris chuckled beside him.

"I was born in the Victorian era. The only thing considered risqué in those days was flashing your ankle. You're not missing much."

Void slunk down into his seat and tried not to think of anything while in their presence. The pod was ejected and sent into space.

(Back to the present.)

Iris looked at the table and saw her reflection in its gleam. Whoever stitched up her abdomen had put some meticulous care into their work.

Her follower lowered his head as he continued explaining the story.

"A few years passed by as you and your husband lived in seclusion. Once they had found you, you both tried to protect each other. There were too many Arisen around. They ran you through with a reproduction of the Blade of Souls, putting your spirit into a coma-like state. I happened to be around and carried you to safety while they were distracted. You were unconscious for five years. Mephiles was not so fortunate. They... obliterated his soul with the Blade of Chaos. The original blade."

"Obliterated? No-o... that's not right. Our souls carry onwards into eternity. He must be sealed up somewhere." Iris said.

No they were not like the disposable mortals. Their souls could never be gotten rid of. It wasn't how the cycle worked.

"He is gone. You cannot feel his aura anywhere anymore. You cannot search for him in his dreams. He has been erased."

Iris looked far into space and a look of sorrow crossed her face. She had never felt loss before and wondered how she should feel. It was like a wasp had stung her in her unbeating heart. She remembered him last telling her how much he wanted her close to him.

How he used his darkness and creatures to try and push them away.

How hard he had kissed her lips before being run through and slaughtered.

She held her hands closed together and sighed. Her wings fell down against her back and her crystal body dulled. How did one want this 'loss' to stop? It was all so... foreign.

Her hot, black tears rolled down her cheeks. A fit of unbridled, primal anger set in. Her silvery aura swelled to violent, catastrophic heights.

"They only think they're safe in their holy city. Protected from the poisons of existence, comfy in a plush afterlife...It sickens me so..."

The cultist felt compelled to run away at this point. But he was so petrified of what she would do if he ran... he might become prey here if he didn't tread lightly.

 _ **"I will find a way to**_ _ **obliterate every single one of them**_ _ **! Their souls will NEVER know eternal bliss!"**_

Eggman's machines started to malfunction and short circuit. Metal Sonic was the one robot to withstand this burst of power and just barely. Eggman ducked for cover as Iris' worshipper took tiny steps forward. The spacecraft trembled as the welded seams started to rip apart. Bolts were torn from shelving and flew across the room like missiles, just missing some toxic vials.

"There is a way to bring him back! There is a way to give one of his multiple selves hope!" The cultist screamed in desperation.

"If this keeps up we will all implode in space!" Eggman said frantically, dodging some falling glass.

Iris, with her back still turned away from them, lifted up her follower by demonic force and yanked him close.

"You **said** he was obliterated. How can I save him if _**not even his soul remains?!**_ "

"Eggman has a time travel portal that can send you back to when he existed! Bring him to the present and he will still live!"

Iris quieted her mind and spirit. Her aura was changing back to normal and she was thinking more clearly.

"Does it work?"

"Yes! It's fully functional and you can use it at your disposal. Just don't kill us all!" Eggman said as Metal Sonic crouched beside the disheveled doctor.

Iris clutched a small fragment of one of Mephiles' blue crystals. It was the very first gift given to her by him.

"Honestly, any other day I wouldn't care if I killed you all. You're lucky I need someone to keep the portal in operation on this end. Lead me to it...Now."


	8. Memory Lane

"I set it to the time period just after he was released from the Scepter of Darkness the first time. You already know to stay out of sight and out of mind. Don't get seen by anyone." Eggman said as Iris nodded her head.

"I never really show gratitude towards others but...thank you."

"You're welcome and, thank you my lady." Eggman said as he pushed the button to open the portal.

"Ho ho ho ho. Wait till you see what I have in store for you and your brothers, Metal." Eggman whispered to his robot as his red eyes lit up intelligently.

Iris watched as a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns finally materialized into objects of the past. She found herself on a destroyed castle's stone column. Down below was an aged mosaic floor and three people. She knew who two of the three were. Shadow and Eggman talked to one another briefly as the female bat watched on the sidelines. Iris listened.

"Yes, the Solaris Project. It was an ambitious project named after their eternal sun god." Eggman says as he puts a hand outwards. "Now, it would be nice if you handed back the Scepter of Darkness to me."

A group of Eggman's robots came down from the sky. Firing rockets at the heroes, they jumped out of the way and the bat flew into the air. Eggman hit her from behind and she fell to the ground. Shadow caught her but the scepter continued to fall. It broke upon impact and short-circuited the robots. A massive black mist rose up from the ground as Eggman made a hasty retreat. The mists then plummeted into the ground.

The darkness absorbed Shadow's shadow. He came up from the ground, birthed by the bubbling pool around him. The demonic being then laughed and spoke lowly to Shadow.

Iris watched intently while still remaining hidden. Mephiles had told her of his first encounter with Shadow many times, but to see it was an entirely new experience. She secretly routed for him and her muzzle came up into a smile.

"How ironic fate can be. I never would have believed I could be resurrected through your shade, Shadow. I thank you." Mephiles says as he gives his signature mock bow.

Shadow then steps back from Mephiles as he walks towards him hunched forward.

"I'm Mephiles, Mephiles the Dark. Did you... forget me?"

Then the demon half-god's eyes slowly lit up with an evil inner light. Raising a hand, he formed a static-like blue orb in his hand.

"What you gave to me, I now return to you. A one way ticket to oblivion!"

Mephiles' blue orb encompassed them all as a buzzing sound was heard. All three vanished to where ever it was he had taken them. Iris glided down the castle floor and looked at the remaining robot's pieces. His electric aura was residual on some parts.

"I should wait until he comes back. Until then, I want to know more about his true form."

Iris looked at the shattered stained glass window. She assumed it resembled the being that he wanted to be the most. Solaris. The mortal's man- made god.

"Mortals always think they can mess with the divine powers of creation. Trying to make a god to serve their own needy purposes when they can barely hold themselves up. They have been pushing their boundaries. "

Iris turned away from the stained glass window and walked out of the crumbling remains.

She saw him later that day talking with another two mortals.

 _I didn't know he used to be this social, even while carrying out some plot of his._

"He's at the train station. It's now or never if you want this." Mephiles gestured to the station and walked away.

Silver and Blaze went after him as Mephiles turned to shadow and slithered away. Iris followed at a good distance, acting like she was stalking her food. No sooner had she turned the corner, Mephiles shot into the sky and warped somewhere else.

"I hate it when you do that." Iris said to herself as she walked by the empty parts of town and into a dense forest. "I may have to wait until the final moments of this timeline to be able to talk to him."

So she waited around until she finally saw Mephiles rise into the sky, a fiery blaze around him as he took chaos from the seven emeralds. She stood there staring at him as he grew long wings and morphed into a fully fledged god. Hissing in pain, she covered her sensitive serpentine eyes. How was he even brighter than the sun?!

The feeling was so intense it took her ten minutes for her eyes to refocus. She was lucky, he could have easily blinded her. After Shadow, Sonic, and Silver turned super and defeated Solaris, Iris crept closer to the scene.

 _How did you continue to exist after they extinguished you as a little flame? Unless... you were even the flame's shadow..._

Her fallen angel had not been erased from this timeline. He knew what was to come and escaped to an alternate timeline in an alternate dimension. He tricked them into thinking he had been destroyed.

The blue portal was barely big enough for her to fit into, but she spotted it and shot into it anyways. Not knowing where she'd be taken to now, she braced herself for impact.

A blank white universe. No light, nor darkness. A white void of timelessness.

Iris continued to go forward and spotted something dark coming up. A dark ink spot on a white sheet of paper, then the spot started to spread out. It was rushing for her at high speeds and blue eyes looked at her with intense hate. It opened its maw and took a more solid shape. Strange shadowy gears accompanied it as it rose it's clawed hands.


	9. Time-Eater

The primordial beast swung and clawed and Iris. She tumbled backwards and bent one of her tails into an unnatural position. The creature then picked her up by her feet and tossed her around like a toy. Not advanced enough to speak in a language in words, the entity snarled and tried opening up a time hole. Iris snarled back as the being hissed three times. Iris let out a low hiss in response. The entity looked at her questionably, a tiny bit of sentience existed in its mind.

 _This is defiantly a demon. An extremely primal demon. Is this... Mephiles' primal form?_

Iris continued to growl and hiss, communicating with it in a language she rarely used.

"Who are you and what has happened here?" She asked as the huge time monster held out it's hand.

A hazy image appeared of Eggman who was extracting the creature from its dark, chaotic habitat. Then he added all kinds of machinery to it, trying to tame it. Then it showed her how it turned against Eggman and erased him from the universe.

"It's terrible how he disturbed you like that. The smart ones are the most inconsiderate. The name Mephiles doesn't happen to ring a bell with you, does it?"

Time-Eater widened its' eyes and spoke a silent _'yes'._

Iris came closer to the being and put her hand on its' forehead.

"Is this what remains of you in this timeline? Is this what the battle with Sonic did to you?"

Time-Eater shook it's head in anger. It didn't remember. It lost all of its' memories when it came into this state. It roared at Iris in confusion and shoved her back with the might of its voice.

"Mephiles, if this really is you deep down, then please listen to me. You don't need to remember me as a part of the physical world. You need to remember me as I was when you didn't even exist. Recall back to when you were not even created."

Iris held out the dull blue crystal and it automatically lit back up with life.

Time-Eater held the crystal gingerly between two clawed fingers. The entity knew who she was now. He remembered himself in another form, a black mist of sorts wandering aimlessly into and out of voids. He met this woman. They talked about one another. They...held each other briefly before she faded away.

He remembered how to speak.

"Yes. I am this Mephiles whom you are looking for. You are that woman. You were the first person I ever met. But since I deleted this whole universe... how could I have know?"

Iris smiled.

"Simple. These recollections are from when your conception was just an idea. Before you existed, you were part of a dream. Since you can destroy only time and time based events, you could have never destroyed non-existence. Time simply just _isn't_ there."

Time-Eater was amazed at this explanation. He put out a hand for her climb into and she did. Holding her close to his eyes, he scrutinized her closely. He sighed in defeat of himself. Time-Eater knew deep within the memory of a dream, he did know her. Conflicting feelings took hold of him and he spoke so lowly Iris had a hard time hearing him.

"Fine. That explanation is better than not. Since I do recall meeting you before briefly, you should be able to find my previous memories. Then and only then I will not consider erasing you as well. If you say no to me, I will make it as if you never came to be."

"I agree to those terms. I would have agreed even without threats thrown at me. I came to this timeline by **choice**."

Time-Eater created many time holes that would send her back through time to the one specific timeline that he was known as the entity 'Mephiles' to her. Iris traveled back through the first time hole to find herself in the alleyway where she first met Mephiles in the real world. She had been hunting at the time and lived in her own cave, single and careless. She hid in a dumpster as she heard her past self run towards her prey.

(Sick Like Me-In This Moment. I think it's a uh... fitting couple song.)

The mortal tried to throw bricks laying on the ground at Iris, but Iris swatted them with her crystal hand and broke them in half. Then the frog croaked in fear as he jumped onto a high ledge. He continued to hop as fast as he could, but Iris dive bombed into him and picked him up with her clawed hands. She tossed him back and forth in the air, playing catch with herself. When she got bored, she dug her hands into his back and ripped him apart.

Absorbing his soul into her core, she landed back in the alley with the silent flutter of her wings.

"I should clean up my mess. They possibly can't even do their jobs right." Iris spoke to herself as another mortal shoved past her.

"Watch it, prey!" She shouted out as a cloud of darkness stopped in its' wake.

The endless shadow questioned her for a second and gave a dark chuckle. It slapped her hard against a concrete wall.

Past-Iris growled and followed the male demon as he hunted. Eventually he captured and killed the guy he was pursuing.

"What a cheap tactic. You also wasted too much energy. Don't you know better or are you new to this?"

The black and gray striped demon turned around with a cool, sinister look in his green eyes.

" Why did you follow me? Don't you know that I can be your destruction, or are you an idiot like the rest?"

Iris laughed and put her hand to her face. "Oh sweetheart I pity you. You can't do anything against me. Plus, it was rude of you earlier to shove me aside like that. Have you no manners?"

Mephiles glared at her and then turned away.

"I _sincerely_ apologize. Now, I must go before the sun arises. You aren't worth my time. Farewell."

Iris watched as the strange shadow demon twisted his way back into the recesses of the retreating night. Before going to her own cave, she cast a glance over her shoulder.

 _How unusual to find another demon in claimed hunting grounds. Do I... know him from somewhere?_

The demoness shook her head. Past-Iris flew back quietly to her home as present day Iris found Time-Eaters' first memory.


	10. Dueling Demons

Iris came back to Time-Eaters world, dropped off the first memory, and jumped into the second time hole. This was the time when Iris and Mephiles had formed a shaky new alliance. He had assisted her in robbing a treasury, then she handed him the red chaos emerald she promised. Mephiles tossed the sack to her past-self with the stolen goodies.

"Why do you need all of these gemstones? What purpose can you use such simple stones for?" Mephiles asked as his blue crystal monsters circled hers.

"I have things that need tending to. Boring stuff, really. What do you need a chaos emerald for?" Iris asked as her beaked creatures screeched at his pets.

The first words to come into his head were 'death' and 'Shadow.'

"A personal vendetta of mine... Heel! Behave yourselves! Shall I replace you?!" Mephiles says as he's distracted by his creatures messing with hers.

The crystalline animals obey and whimper, laying down on their bellies. Iris' two pets fly back onto her and perch on her arm, nestling next to each other.

"Is that so? Well, I do need an ally. I assume you do to. Am I worth keeping?" Iris batted her lashes at him.

"For the time, I favor you. I hope our newly conceived alliance lasts."

"To make it official, since we are civilized beings, let's draw up a contract. Handshakes are good and all, but I'd like something more set in stone." Iris said as he started to leave the scene.

Mephiles turned back around with a hardcore poker face on.

"That sounds good to me. What will the terms be?"

"We can collaborate together while the night wanes. Just a general contract though, no in-depth stuff. Pretty much just no acts that may lead to betrayal between both our parties."

Mephiles scowled underneath is calm complexion. There goes his way out if he would ever need one. Although he could try and find a loophole.

"Sorry, but I can't place the cards of deception into your hands. Or mine for that matter. It could makes things difficult. I have to spoil your fun." Iris said as she waved him on. "I have a cozy little spot where we can talk privately. Follow me."

Iris led him to a tiny little shack not too far away from some local housing. Two crates were put by a gardening table with an almost spent candle burning. The two demons deliberated over what needed written down to make their alliance binding. When they were satisfied with themselves, they each bit their thumbs and let their blue blood mix together on the papers. The wax candle had melted down to nothing and extinguished itself. Two sets of demonic eyes were left glowing and staring at one another. They each took their respective paper and left, waiting to assist the other when needed.

Present day Iris collected this memory and moved through time, finding a more important memory of their relationship. It was the first time Mephiles had invited her over to his place. This was the point in time when they started to grow closer to one another. This was the day they had formed a friendship.

Past-Iris tracked down Mephiles' aura trial to a cave outside of Golden City. She approached the entrance silently and laid down the requested item. Mephiles' red and green eyes shone through the thick darkness of his cave. One of his crystalline hands appeared and dragged the wrapped item inside his home.

"Thank you."

Iris nodded her head and they observed each other in silence. Mephiles decided to take the next step. It had been irritating him for a week now and he needed to do it, to get it off of his chest.

"...Would you, like to come in? A rain system is rolling in from the next city over. Keep your makeup from washing off." Mephiles asked as he drifted aside. "Take refuge here for the time being."

Iris couldn't find any words to say. Her pale muzzle drew up into a happy smile.

"I'd appreciate that, Mephiles."

Iris and Mephiles talked for hours on end that night. They didn't even leave his cave to go hunting when the rain had far gone. He had told her his life story and she explained her situation to him. Then they both got into some very detailed opinions about the existence of life and the concept of creation. After going over one another's ponderings the sun had just broke over the horizon.

"If you'd like we could go hunting sometime. Anytime is fine for me really, you?"

"That should prove to be enthralling. Meet you at your cave tomorrow?" Mephiles asked.

"That will do."

And so, Iris continued picking up the fragments of memories throughout time. She collected the memories of their triumphs, failures, loves, and hates. She wasn't sure she wanted to collect the parts where they had been fighting. Especially the fight that almost separated them for good. She watched this part play out with a deep sadness and anger concealed in her heart.

"I can't believe you'd side with them! You dare stop me from murdering them all?!" Mephiles said, referring to the police officers he held in a deathly grip. "Why save them?"

Iris shook her head side to side as her curled quills swayed with her. "You don't understand what travesty this will bring upon our own heads. Can't you just erase their minds and leave them be? Enough blood has been spilled tonight. Part of being a good villain is knowing who to spare to save your own hide."

Mephiles started to turn crystalline and pointed a sharp blue crystal arm at Iris.

"I can do what I please, I am greater than you in every shape and form. Especially as a villian. You are so lowly you don't even deserve to be in my presence."

"Pride has always been your problem Mephiles, and now she's about to kick you in your arse if you don't shut up soon." Iris threatened. "Put that down before you make a terrible mistake."

Mephiles lowered his arm, but soon rammed it right at her. Iris caught his deformed arm and snapped the rough crystal appendage clean off. Mephiles howled in pain as his sclera turned red as stitch marks formed over them. He shot a dark chaos lance into her head. He then repeated the same action again. Iris felt the searing pain, but that didn't deter he from the fight. Blue blood rolled down from the slit in her head and unto her shoulders.

Iris' sclera turned black as cracks came from the corner of her eyes. Turning her back to Mephiles, she used her crystal porcupine quills to dig and tear into his stomach. Mephiles tried to pull her away but the more he moved the deeper the quills embedded themselves into his stone flesh. Iris roughly pulled away, leaving Mephiles bleeding now as well.

The gruesome fight continued onwards, the dueling demons paid no attention to their surroundings as they terrified the city. They were throwing one another into buildings, tearing up the ground on which they fought, and turning petrified onlookers into nothing but pools of blood and organs. Iris grabbed this last piece of the puzzle and solemnly returned to Time-Eater.


	11. The Rebirth of Mephiles

Time-Eater collected the wisps Iris had gathered for him and wove them into his body. Since he had all of the lost memories back, he morphed into the hedgehog form he had been in the past. The clockwork gears embedded in his mist-like mass dissipated and broke into pieces. Tendrils of shadow reached out from his core, twisting him into shape. Mephiles stood tall in the place where Time-Eater had once been.

"I do prefer this form above the others. It's just so simple and the design is based off of something so powerful even I have a hard time of comprehending it." Mephiles said as he turned over his gloved hands and examined them like precious trinkets. "Yes. I like what I have become."

Iris waited for Mephiles to finish exploring his old body to continue onwards.

"Eggman is holding the portal open for us now on the spaceship. Take us back to point where time existed so that he may extract us."

Mephiles gave her an interested look. "Why would I go back? This was always one of my goals, to consume all of time and space. Why would I want to lose that, now that even my sentience has been returned to me?"

"Would you not like to do it again? To enjoy their torment as they cease to exist?"

Mephiles deliberated over that and nodded his head. "I shall come with you then, my dear. I have but one question left for you, then."

"Yes?"

"Why take me from this 'timeline'? Didn't you want to go back to when they were about to kill me? Save me from that fate?"

Iris knew that. "You said it yourself, you have destroyed time itself here. This 'timeline' has nothing but you in it. If I take you from a place where time doesn't exist anymore, what side effects will there be? Taking you wouldn't affect anything because there isn't anything to effect."

He nodded his head again. "I'll teleport us to a previous time then."

Mephiles formed a blue static orb in his hands and sent them both to the ruins of Soleanna's castle. Egg man's red portal was visible inside a stone room, Eggman's robots could be heard on the other side.

 _What is going on behind there?_ Iris thought.

Iris and Mephiles came through the portal and watched as the robots paraded around the area. Metal Sonic and Mecha Sonic stood right in front of them. Silver Sonic stood by Dr. Robotnik as he finished assembling his newest creation.

 _Life forms detected. Analysis... ally. Permission granted._ Metal Sonic said as he stepped aside and let them pass.

"Back so soon Iris? Well now my little robot isn't a surprise anymore." Eggman said as he was caught doing the unimaginable. "I should have rented out the lab today."

Iris' held her breath. Was that a robot version of herself? What was his unhealthy obsession with these clunking machines? When she had been in stasis, he must have designed a blueprint on her anatomy.

"Uh no you don't have to worry about her. I built Metal Sonic in order to defeat Sonic but I assure you, that's not what I'm doing with her. It's been so long since I've made an advanced AI robot... Plus, the boys have been begging me for a sister."

"Ok and why would I have known...Metal Sonic... was created to kill mortal Sonic? Why would you tell me that?" Iris asked as the doctor gave her a look.

"Erm... forget it then." Eggman asked as he scratched his bald head.

" So, how did you complete such an intricate robot of myself in such a little amount of time?"

"I am a genius after all. I have also been fine tuning yours to make it unique."

"I'm flattered. So what are you going to do with her?" Iris asked as she looked at the very similar robot.

"Oh just keep her around as a new member of the family. Why don't you get to know her a little better? Show her how to be a real girl..." He says as he eagerly pushes her towards Iris.

 _What else have I to do aboard this floating piece of scrap metal. Maybe she'll prove useful._

"For the time I'll keep her with me. Question... where are Mephiles and myself supposed to stay? There are bedrooms aboard this vessel?"

"The next unit over is where the rooms are. You two are the very last I am accepting on my ship. The door is unlocked and the key is on the desk inside." Eggman said as Mephiles and Iris left quietly, holding each other's hands.

Every possible bad guy had been brought aboard the ship. Villains from all walks of life were congregating in the halls and living quarters. From silly to serious, young to old, stupid to genius, they all seemed to be drawn onto this part of the ship in particular. To name a few that were going about were Iron Queen and Snively, the Deadly Six, Chaos, Lyric, and Fang. Black Death and Enchantress kept to themselves and watched as the couple passed by. They wondered if they had met them somewhere before. Mephiles moved his eyes from side to side, wanting to know which one was to be their room. Iris squeezed his hand in assurance. Smiling proudly from cheek to cheek, she held her head up high in confidence. Mephiles raised his head soon afterwards.

"Is that Mephiles? Yeah it's that guy. He's the only one here that has killed that cocky bastard, Sonic."

Mephiles looked over to see that Knack the Weasel had been running around, talking to his team mates about him. He sneered at him and the room grew quiet.

 _That's better._ The half- god thought to himself as he rotated his head forwards again.

Iris watched as her brand new metal counterpart match her footsteps perfectly. Metal Iris slowly turned her head to look at her organic counterpart. Her glowing silver eyes lit up in artificial intelligence as she blinked. Iris wondered what to do with her robotic self. The two stared at one another for some time. Metal Iris spoke first.

 _Organic self, teach me what it means to be alive. Show me what it means to be 'Iris'..._


	12. Metal Iris

"You're not me. Remember this above all else. But that doesn't mean I can't teach you how to be similar to me." Iris said as Metal Iris tilted her head. "Let me show you what I mean. Take a seat."

Metal Iris sat down Indian style on the ground and watched her rear up her head.

"Though a queen you are not, you can still hold yourself up with an air of eminence. Others may not see you as superior to them and you must remind them that you are. Be it by actions or by body language."

Metal Iris saved that to her memory.

 _Eminence._

"The second thing you must know is when to be sweet. Sometimes being sweet can reap bigger rewards than being cruel. For example, you may happen to find yourself needing an ally. If you force them to help you they'll eventually turn on you. You must welcome them with open arms, make them feel safe around you...then when you don't need them, or they decide to betray you... well... that leads me to the last part. Knowing when to be sadistically cruel."

Metal Iris leaned forwards anxiously.

"Now you can do any old thing considered 'cruel'. You could steal from the poor, run someone over with a car, remedial things like that. But why would you want to?! Now my thing is with torture. Sure, physical torture is fun for awhile. What happens when you break into the mind? All kinds of juicy little things pop up out of the subconscious. Perhaps you don't want to do that? You can break them spiritually, too! Go crazy and make family members kill each other! Pit allies against one another until one is left, then kill the survivor! TRAP UNSUSPECING MORTALS IN SLUMBER WHILE YOU FEED OFF THEIR LIFEFORCE!"

Metal Iris continued listening as her counterpart listed ways on how to murder people. Iris pulled the robot close to her with one of her scorpion tails and rested her head on her shoulder.

"That's just a peak into what I think of on a daily basis. That's all you would need to know though, right? I could go on if you really want me to."

Metal Iris nodded and shifted carefully to the side. Iris let her tail slide off of the metal girl and peered into her glass eyes. The robot and demon sat with one another in some sort of trance until Iris got up and left. Metal Iris' computerized brain was confused at what just happened to her. Why did she hear one and zero constantly being repeated in a loop?

Mephiles and Iris went inside their small bedroom and locked the steel door behind them. Time passed by as the spaceship orbited for the second time around the bright green and blue planet known as Mobius. That steel door remained tightly sealed until almost everyone shut themselves away in their rooms. Mephiles opened the door just a crack and crept out silently. He jumped onto the pipes that ran along the ceiling and slithered against them. Mephiles found a very interesting room not too far down the hallway.

 _What have we here? This must be where the bigger, more unstable guests are staying._ Mephiles thought as special reinforced glass rooms kept the raging beasts from ripping each other apart.

Ifrit, Dark Gaia, Final Mova, and Biolizard all paced aimlessly within their confines, snarling and holding their heads low. There was also another container but it didn't hold a beast inside. Instead, what looked like a golden version of Sonic sat in the corner. Eggman entered the room through a hidden hatch in the floor with Cubot and Orbot behind him.

"What horrendously terrible beasties I have collected here. If the heroes on Mobious ever let their guard down, I can drop a couple of monsters on top of them. What gift could be better to give them than that of their demise. Whohohoho!"

"But boss, w-what if the others find out? They might try to use them for themselves." Cubot asked timidly.

Eggman smacked him aside his square head.

"That's why I've been hiding them, blockhead. I've hidden them too well. No one has even come close to this hidden chamber yet. That hatch is the only entrance and exit."

"Right you are sir. So.. why did we come here?" Orbot asked as Eggman tapped on the glass containing Biolizard.

"Just to check in, Make sure they all behave. We can all go to bed now that my mind is at ease. Come on you idiots."

Eggman and his robots left through the hatch again as Mephiles dripped down from the ceiling. The demonic hedgehog watched as the golden Sonic turned his head slightly. Mephiles knew know that this was not Sonic.

Fleetway wrote his name in blood on the inside of the glass and waved at Mephiles, showing off his oversized incisors. Mephiles glared at the hedgehog with distaste before slinking across the rest of the room. Fleetway watched as Mephiles finished exploring and retreated back to the ceiling. He slunk away and traveled to the other parts of the ship.

Iris had come out as well. Making sure she was alone, she put her ear buds in and looked at her music tracks. Her purple crystal ipod lit up with life as she scrolled through the songs. She settled on Sex Metal Barbie by one of her favorite female metal bands, In This Moment. She had to admit, some mortals make great music. She sat back on her tails and nodded her head to the awesome guitar parts.

Scourge slid open the bedroom door and closed it behind himself. Fiona was still soundly asleep inside and Scourge wanted food badly.

 _Man I hate the sudden attack of midnight munchies. I really hope I can find something good in that industrial kitchen of his._

Scourge straightened out his flame painted leather jacket and pushed his red sunglasses ontop of his head. He heard what sounded like a girl singing faintly up ahead. Anti-Sonic soon enough ran into a cute looking porcupine, who he had never seen before ever. He widened his eyes as he examined her in more detail.

 _This chick is not your normal female porcupine. What's with those butterfly-like wings? Are those_ _ **three**_ _scorpion tails? And whoa.. that full mane of curled quills down her back. Beautiful.._

"Your one wicked looking babe." Scourge said loudly, it was just loud enough for Iris to hear over the music. She pulled her ear buds out in surprise.

"That is a compliment?" Iris asked as the green hedgehog smiled and got closer to her.

"Oh yeah I mean, you're the most strangely exotic girl I've ever come across. I like your taste in music, too."

"You prefer that genre as well? It is quite nice to listen to. What is your name mortal?"

"Scourge the hedgehog. Mortal? Who isn't?" Scourge asked.

 _She seems so old school. What time era does she come from?_

"Not all of us, but I understand if you are confused. So Scourge, why are you out so late at night? Shouldn't you be slumbering?"

"Yes I should be slumbering, but I woke up hungry and cranky. Though running into you has put me in a better mood." Scourge said as he leaned against the wall.

Iris raised an eye in question.

"How so?"


	13. Scourge

"Well for one your actually nice, not malicious, unlike some of the others here. Two, your very easy on the eyes." Scourge said as he winked at Iris. "So what world did you come from?"

"I am from Mobious, but not the Top World where I am assuming you are from. I am from the Flame Core, the realm of eternal suffering for corrupt souls. Have you heard of it at all?"

"No, but it sounds very unwelcoming. What exactly does that make you?"

"I'll let you guess, it's amusing to me. So do you too hail from Mobious?"

"No I'm from Moebius, the opposite of Mobious as you know it. Or as you call it the 'Top World.' It's a grungier, dirtier version of their clean and pristine world." Scourge explained. "Everyone there is the opposite of their Mobious counterparts."

"Who is your opposite then?"

Scourge drew back his lips and snarled. "Sonic."

" I can tell that you two have some bad blood between you. What has he done that you hate him with such intensity?" Iris asked as Scourge moved closer to her.

"He made me lose my kingdom when I was crowned king! When I fought against him in my super form I was unstoppable. Then the bastard tricked me into becoming normal gain and kept me captive! He threw me into No Zone jail as I became the little fish everyone picked on!"

"Calm yourself. That has passed and you are free now. Do not get upset over these memories." Iris crooned as Scourge kept cussing obscenities.

"If you only knew how mad I am at him! I'll shove my foot down his throat the next time I see that little shit."

"Until that day, what are your plans? How will you bide your time?"

Scourge gave her a weird look. "Are you sure you're evil? You really don't seem like it. Unless your pretending to care for some unseen reason."

Iris was silent as Scourge crossed his arms over his chest.

"Hello lady? I'd like an answer."

"What do you think of your world?"

"What?"

"What do think of your world? Being born into it... what does it mean to you?"

"I hate it that's what I think! It deserves to be taken out of existence."

"What an interesting thing to say... Why does it deserve to erased?"

"Why are you asking me these questions?! Stop it! I don't like feeling like I'm being interrogated." Scourge said as he put his hands up in defense.

"Was it because of your father? Because he never spent time with you... is that why you feel you must get rid of it?"

Scourge's growl caught it his throat. "What did you just say?!"

"What did I say? I didn't speak."

"Don't fucking lie to me!"

"Do you feel ill, Scourge? Are you hearing imaginary voices?"

Scourge marched up to Iris and punched her in the gut. His hand hurt as he pulled back from the punch.

"You really are made out of crystal! That hurt..."

"That's what happens when you think irrationally." Iris said as a sudden heat wave passed through the room.

"What are you playing at...?" Scourge asked as he started to sweat. "Stop that!"

"There is no game to play. Stop what? I don't understand."

Scourge was frozen in place as he kept sweating profusely. He felt little hands paw at his legs and dig into his skin. He fell over and tried to crawl away.

"Stop it!"

Iris realized her little invisible followers had been doing this. "Now everyone behave themselves. Let go of his legs."

She felt them come back to her and disappear by her side.

"What was that? What are they?" Scourge asked as he shook his hand in the space in front of him, pulling his hand away fast.

"I'm not sure you'll understand it all but... they are devils. They hang around demons and try to leech some of their power. I call them parasites." Iris explains as she looks at the now empty spot besides her. "Pains in the arse too."

"So these devils feed off of demons, aka you, and do what exactly?"

"Pester us. They also usually cause trouble with those in the surrounding area. Wonder where they went, not like I care though. They are someone else's nuisance now."

"So what makes you like Mephiles? He's such a bore and a sour puss. You could have fun with me." Scourge said, changing the conversation to a more normal topic.

"Him? A bore? Well, it's not like anyone else knows him as well as I do. He's closed off to others. I somehow wiggled my way into a major part of his life and he likes having me for company. How we met... I cannot tell you. You will not understand nor accept the realities of non-existence."

"What in the hell did you say? Never mind I'll regret it. Still, I've gotta be better than him. Come by my room sometime when you're bored." He winked and walked towards the kitchen again, only to find it ransacked. "Damn it you shits!"

 _I don't think our ideas of fun meet up, Scourge._ Iris thought as she traversed down the corridor. _I'm sure they don't meet up at all._


	14. Sinister Sibling

Mephiles walked into the empty steel dining hall. The plastic tables and chairs were neatly lined up and waiting for the breakfast crowd. The last cleaning robot had been put back into storage and the darkened room was now perfectly silent. Mephiles floated across the linoleum floor and opened the two red double doors at the other end. An amphitheater that had blue velvet seats, a wooden stage, and a baby grand piano was what he saw. What he didn't see was the church organ hidden behind some curtains.

Someone started playing it, hitting every key on the scale. At first it sounded like random notes being played but then it grew and swelled until it became a malicious tune. It crescendoed at the halfway mark so much, it left Mephiles in awe. Who was playing this organ to such perfection, so smoothly that it was almost natural? He got his answer when he drew back the curtains. A pink crystal hedgehog who's fingers moved so fast it was uncanny. The glowing entity raised up his head and smiled at Mephiles. It was Arrion, Iris' brother.

"Oh hello there Mephiles. I didn't know you were here I was so deep into the music." The pink demon said in greeting.

Mephiles pointed at Arrion accusingly. "I don't know you. Why do you know me?"

Arrion looked baffled. "I've... met you before. Remember when you had to possess a mortal body because this 'Sonic' tore you up really good? You and Iris lived together in a small apartment, trying to find refuge from their pursuits."

Mephiles didn't remember that at all. "I think she failed to include that when she made me whole again."

"What?"

Mephiles came up to Arrion and showed him what he had been. Arrion was still confused slightly at this hazy image.

Mephiles sighed.

"I am not the Mephiles who met you. I am a Mephiles from an alternate timeline of the same universe. I am the Mephiles who was once called Time Eater."

"That makes more sense. Kind of. Anyway welcome back and uh... did you enjoy the music?"

"It sounded comforting in a way."

Arrion smiled and held his hands together. "Why yes! I love to just mess around with the keys. I use to perform for the noble demons who attended royal galas. If you had met her back then you most certainly would be invited. In fact..."

Arrion hands Mephiles a pink envelope with gold leaf borders.

"I cordially invite you to the next one! Well, after we're out of this mess."

Mephiles flipped the envelope with his gloved hands and felt the hard wax stamp keeping it closed.

"You are really inviting me? Alright, I'll go. If anything just to give being social with my kind a chance."

Arrion turned around to face the massive organ again.

"You don't have to come because it's a social event... I invited you because I'm sure Iris would have. She's just got a lot on her mind recently, becoming the queen and all. Why don't you find her and bring her here to me. I'm sure she would like to hear some old time favorites of hers."

Mephiles nodded and started walking back to their room. Somehow he felt compelled to.

"Mephiles? I don't know how many times she has told 'you' that she cares about you, but she truly does." Arrion laughs. "Because she doesn't care for me much!"

Mephiles closed the door and went back to their tiny room. Not much was in there but a desk and a lamp, the white rug on the floor, and the one queen sized bed they were to share. Mephiles wasn't sure what to think about sharing a bed with a woman. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to share the room with her either. He needed personal space and lots of it. He felt confused and wondered why he had to 'love' her.

He knew she wasn't in the room or powder room and grumbled to himself. He searched the living room and other halls, but she was nowhere. He was starting to get irritated and rushed to the library. He found her hunkered down by a computer, typing away on the keyboard. Her glowing silver eyes met his green ones. Iris brought her muzzle up into a smile. Mephiles didn't smile back. Her kept a stern look plastered over his face.

"Yes Mephiles?"

"Why weren't you in the room? Why are you here?"

"Am I not allowed to leave the room? Am I in prison? No because I was already there with the other you."

Mephiles scowled at her remark.

"Your brother wants to see you."

Iris stood up from the padded computer chair.

"Which one?"

"The pink one. Arin or something... he wants to see you."

"Oh! Arrion is here? Where?"

Mephiles pointed down the hall and to the left. "The amphitheater."

Iris left with Mephiles from the library and walked with him down the metal hall. This was one of the hallways that had a reinforced glass window. She stopped to admire what was out there. Mephiles insisted for her to continue on. The color changing stars seemed to move slowly in a way that seemed as though they were dancing.

"It's amazing how vast the universe is." Iris said to herself as she placed her diamond clawed hand on the freezing cold glass. "Have you ever been elsewhere outside Mobius?"

Mephiles had once. Well, he didn't really go to any of the planets but he had seen them in his brief god form, Solaris. He shook his head and also gazed out the window.

"You can stargaze later. Follow me."

Mephiles led her the rest of the way as Arrion played a song they both knew. It was their lullaby, once played by mother herself.


	15. Reminisce

_(Davy Jones Theme - Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest. Epic lullaby if I say so! :)_

Iris thought back to when her mother was still clinging to sanity. This was the last thing she did before she lost herself. She could see Arrion was having flashbacks as well.

 _"My wonderful children, come gather around. I have a piece that I'd like to perform for you all."_

 _Irisatine, Arrion, Ferris, Synthien, Derilious, Xamen, and Gerdarin looked up at the impressive demoness out of curiosity. The Queen of the Flame Core passed her hand over her children's heads to silence their fussing. Ferris and Xamen, the youngest of the group, had clung tightly against her brown goat legs. Arrion, the second eldest, sat besides his mother. His feet touched the floor now and he no longer had to cling to her back or sit in her lap._

 _The crystal child watched as the scenes in the stained glass moved. The trees swayed in the thick ho air as the banshees moaned in the biggest window. Nandraina put her hands on top of her sons and guided them._

 _"Mommy, what are you doing?" The pre-teen prince asked his mother._

 _"I want to give you the skill of music making. It will be something to remember me by. Something to awaken the dark powers of life around you."_

 _Arrion pulled his hands out of hers. "I don't understand. Won't you always be here?"_

 _The queen sighed. "I will always be here in body, but soon my mind will go. I will not be able to judge my actions anymore. I will do anything my primal impulse tells me to do. That is the difference between the civilized demons and the primal ones, Arrion. We are able to judge accordingly to our actions."_

 _Arrion looked sadly at her and willingly learned to play the organ. Iris overheard them and since then things were never the same. Her mother became distant and more deranged every year that passed._

Arrion stopped abruptly and stood up from the organ. "I've got to go. I'll see you around."

Iris nodded as Arrion walked past her. Her ears drooped as she raked her claws through her quills.

Arrion paused right before he left. "We are the ones who made it. I'm guessing the others had to hole themselves up inside the Flame Core when the Oppressors came."

Iris grabbed her brother's arm.

"The Oppressors descended? I thought they stayed to protect the city?"

Arrion shook his head. "They forced the demons back into the Flame Core and sealed it up. There was too much hate and evil when half of the demons left to spread across the world. The balance was thrown off and the Oppressors came to get rid of the problem, aka closing up the portal with our kind inside. The demons who didn't go back in time were killed... ha... actually killed."

"This isn't funny. We can be killed in a specific way." Iris said as Arrion went pale. "The original blades, have you forgotten?"

"That was just a myth! Something mom told us to keep us under her control... Is it true?"

She nodded and whispered something into his ear.

"Mephiles, my other Mephiles, was killed by one of the blades. Not only does it render your body useless, but it absorbs your soul and disintegrates it."

Arrion hesitated before he left out of the double doors back to the cafeteria. Iris knew this was the first time any of them have felt threatened, and somewhat scared as well. Mephiles spoke softly to her as she clenched her fists defensively.

"That is how I died?"

"That's what my follower told me when I woke up. He made my body whole again using my own crystal growth." Iris explained as Mephiles turned his back to her.

"Can we love? Did we love?"

Iris was confused by what he meant. "Pardon?"

"Was it really love between you and the other me? Or were we just taking advantage of one another?"

"Well... at first that's how it began. That is to be expected, though. After the days turned into years it developed into something more resembling a relationship. We were inseparable from each other, no matter how much we irritated one another. It would be fun to bond with you again, if you'd accept that offer."

"How would we bond exactly?" Mephiles asked as Iris came to his side with a coy smile plastered over her muzzle.

"Would you believe me if I... demonstrated for you?"

Mephiles shifted uncomfortably as she grabbed the back of his head. She forcefully pressed his muzzle against hers and coaxed his mouth to form. Mephiles was thrown into a lustful frenzy, akin to twilight sleep. He pushed her down to the ground so fiercely that the metal creaked and splintered.

"Not here! Somewhere private. Don't be an animal." Iris said as she blushed violet as he bit down on shoulder.

"We are animals." He whispered seductively into her ear. "You wanted this, wanted ME."

He continued onwards with her as his darkness grew around him.

 _(Ehem... while this lovey dovey stuff continues...)_

"I see a ship ahead." A dark figure states as his three eyes widen in anticipation.

"Good. Their flesh will be nourishing food for the hatchlings." Another dark entity states as the leader looks onwards.

"Eclipse, make preparations for the hijacking. The Black Arms have reached Mobius once again."

A red and black alien grinned and replied. His red, muti-eyed space pet hopped onto his arm.

"Of course. The Black Comet is almost upon them."


	16. The Black Arms

Eclipse gathered up his darklings as a small portion of the Black Arms army followed at his side. They started to extend the bridge towards the other ship. The darklings flew offinto the ceiling pipes as the soldiers marched forwards.

Eggman came on over the loudspeaker as his ships alarms went off.

"Attention all villains! Attention all villains! The Black Arms have spotted the ship! Everyone to the weapons room! Man the ships lasers and turrets! Hohohoha!" Eggman said nervously as red lights flashed.

Mephiles and Iris about jumped out of their skin when the blaring alarms went off. Mephiles, who held Iris in his darkness, dropped her to the ground as he hit his head on the ceiling.

"COME ON!" Iris growled as the disgruntled demons put on their clothing articles.

Everyone of able body was armed with some sort of weapon. Eggman's robots handed them out to those who wanted them. Most were going to use their own special weapons because they were masters at handling them. The robots handed Iris, Mephiles, and Arrion their guns.

"Tch. Aren't you amusing contraptions." Arrion said in disdain as he threw his gun to the floor.

Iris and Mephiles turned them over and examined the barrels.

"I find this insulting, really." Mephiles replied darkly, using his powers to melt the weapons down to nothing. "Like I'm not strong and powerful enough to rip them apart with my bare hands."

"I am providing you all with free, good weapons and you toss them aside so?! Fine! All of you have it your way. Now get ready!" Eggman said in anger as he saw pretty much all of the villains discard his treasures.

A grating metal against metal sound rung through the ship as the aliens forced their way onboard. Finitevus used his warp rings to confuse the simple creatures as the others were starting to join in. Iron Queen used her metallic dragon to rip a creature to shreds as her partner Snivley punched one and ran away. Scourge and Fiona attacked the aliens side by side, each finishing the others' work. Mephiles and Iris went to town, letting out their pent up homicidal instincts. Mephiles imagined Shadow helpless in his grasp as the alien was disemboweled. They were truly the ones to make the most carnage. The Black Arms kept coming out of the comet and soon formed one whole dark mass around them. Black Doom and Eclipse came out last. Somehow, the aliens had programmed some sort of energy draining mechanism on the front of their ship. It had been switched on mid-battle and the villains felt weaker, their reflexes slower.

The mindless darklings that Eclipse looked after carried lightweight chains in their mouths. They wove these around the prisoners' wrists and ankles with ease. Mephiles and Iris growled and pushed away the baby aliens.

"I have been locked up and imprisoned enough for this century." Iris stated as she walked alongside the line.

Mephiles walked behind her and raised a questioning eyebrow at Arrion. "The hell is wrong with him?"

Arrion winked at a strong looking alien guard as he let him chain him up happily. He growled seductively as he was poked in the back with a rod to move along."

"Everything, and more." Iris replied as she strolled past Black Doom calmly.

Black Doom stopped her and turned her around to face him. "Halt female. You are not in chains. Go back and get chained up."

"I'm coming along willingly. So is he." Iris said as Mephiles shot them a murderous look.

" Be thankful." Mephiles demanded as they both walked into the Black Comet.

The spaceship had strange red crystal growth that made up almost all of the interior chambers. Black faceted stone, not unlike obsidian, was in-between the other crystals that didn't grow so close together. There were a couple big, red flat crystals that the Black Arms used to pilot the ship. The villains marched in two straight lines as they were led into the bowels of the ship, to the incubation room. The alien breeding season yielded many eggs that need a source of protein when they hatch. Now, they have their birthday meal. One by one the Black Arms attached them to the slimy walls as a mucous membrane cocooned them.

Eclipse was the designated one to watch over the babies as they grew and developed. The black and red alien laughed as his little pet shuddered happily from getting his belly rubbed. Black Doom floated into the room and Eclipse stood at attention.

 _"Eclipse, I hold you personally responsible for making sure the food stays put. I'm going to search the rest of the craft."_ Black Doom said in his whispery voice before leaving with his fifty body guards.

Eclipse sighed heavily and sat down amongst the eggs. He knew they were going to have hive minds and not cared about once they did hatch. He'd also have to put in long hours training them for conquest. Once this batch did lay their own eggs, they would die off immediately.

"It's going to be a hard life, but don't worry." Eclipse said as he cradled a few eggs, crooning to them. "I'll make sure it's good while it lasts."

Suddenly, a huge force shakes their whole ship. Eclipse panics and holds onto the egg he clutched tightly. Black Doom yells something inaudibly as loud crashes come through the communication devices. A fighter's voice comes through.

 _"NO! SEAL HIM BACK UP! SEAL HIM...! AAAAHHHH!"_

A blazing golden light with a red tinge appears outside the Black Comet. The Black Arms fighters shoot at it with their lasers but die instantly when it throws chaos at them.

" _HAHAHAAAA! Death to you, and you...and you over there!"_

Black Doom runs inside his ship and closes the hatch behind him, ignoring his fighters pleading to come in. He hears a loud crunch and a splattering sound against the doors. Someone is banging against the doors violently, laughing so hard that they can't seem to catch their breath.

"HAHAAAAHA! LET ME IN, I WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU! FLEETWAY WANTS YOU TO DIEEEEE!"


	17. Fleetway vs Mephiles

( _Happy Halloweenween everyone! ;)_

Fleetway burst through the doors in a fiery blaze. His red swirly eyes looked at Black Doom with heated hatred. Eclipse pushed Black Doom out of the way as he ran all the way back to his leader. The alien's side was singed by the intense chaos as Fleetway laughed at his pain. Black Doom hid himself away in the control room, leaving Eclipse alone to defend the ship. While their leader cowered like a worm, the rest of the Black Arms tried to fend him off. The ones who were left backed themselves into a corner as they tried futilely to bring down this psychopath. Mephiles was curious as to what was going on now and followed the sounds of suffering.

He was met with that golden Sonic he had seen trapped behind the glass. Fleetway revealed his sharp teeth and smiled at Mephiles as if he was a good friend.

"Oh it's you. What's happening bud?!" Fleetway said as he stepped over Eclipse to extend a hand out to Mephiles.

Mephiles drew back from this gesture and flattened his ears. He started to become crystallized around his feet. He wasn't sure if battle was necessary but he sure as sin wanted to be ready. Fleetway clawed at the air in front of Mephiles, making him jump back in surprise. Evil golden Sonic chuckled.

"I like you. Silent and maliciously planning my demise. Cold and calculating but... boring. Too stale." Fleetway waves him off. "You're like an evil grandpa."

"I have class then. I don't randomly kill, I must be precise in my ways. You are sloppy." Mephiles remarks as Fleetway squints hard.

"How am I sloppy?"

"You don't do it in moderation. You think you'll achieve everything in one foul swoop. Use that head on your shoulders every so often and you'll get farther in life."

Fleetway shot chaos at Mephiles who countered it with his crystalline hand.

"What is it that you think you are doing? If you destroy this ship we will all be stuck out in space.."

Fleeway smiled. "I don't really care. I can travel through the cosmos fairly quickly. Leaving you here to starve to death will be satisfying."

Mephiles couldn't help but laugh. "You think I can die from starvation... You think I am similar to them..."

*He gestures to the dead aliens around them.*

"I am a breed of monster that you shouldn't have messed with."

Fleeway snarled as Mephiles extended his arm and placed his hand onto the rock wall. His claws sunk into it as if it was flesh and a black substance dripped from the ceiling. Fleeway watched as the red alien crystals turned into blue ones, and Mephiles melted down before his eyes. The black puddle turned to a coil of mist and enveloped the room in darkness. It was so dark that Fleetway's naturally illuminated body was blacked out. A single, big green serpent eye appeared and focused in on Fleetway. Fleeway tried attacking it but it vanished. Then, many green eyes materialized out of the blue. Fleetway ran around the entire room feeling for an exit but Mephiles kept him from leaving. The entirety of the walls were made from liquid darkness and Fleeway started to panic.

 _All this time your words have given you a false sense of confidence..._

Fleetway tries to ward off the encroaching darkness desperately. The only sound he hears is the creepy shallow breathing of his opponent all around him.

 _See what happens when you think you have become a god...?_

Mephiles, in his crystal form, grabs him from behind and twists his claws into his back. He gives his signature laugh.

 _You face the power of a real one._

Fleeway screams and does a sonic boom out of the ship, straight through the solid ship's walls. He takes off like a comet through space and doesn't look back, gasping in pain as he goes. Mephiles has a smug look of content on his muzzle, blood dripping off of his claws and onto his crystals. Feeding them.

Eclipse had been sitting in the corner this whole time, watching the fight as best as he could. The sudden light to dark and left his eyes blurry and it took awhile for them to readjust. He saw that Iris was right next to him, watching too.

Black Doom came out of hiding holding his hands in the air.

" We live to see another day. Eclipse, did he...?"

Eclipse nodded his head as Mephiles drifted past him. Mephiles and Iris left the Black Comet and returned aboard Eggman's craft. No one did tell them otherwise. Black Doom, Eclipse, and the three remaining Black Arms detached their spacecraft from the other one and left in silence. Eclipse stared into the galaxy and had finally found the answer to his own question. There were real monsters out there. Thank goodness they had left their ship and not demanded anything more. Mephiles laugh replayed itself inside of his head...

Eclipse shuddered in true fear.


	18. Now, on Mobius

Black Doom assessed the damage to their ship and saw that it was mostly the main hull that was damaged. The main hull was only damaged in places here and there and not enough to put the ship out of action. Their alien metals were crafted to withstand nuclear space rockets, none the less a crazed hedgehog. The incubating room wasn't touched at all. In fact, all of the jostling around awoke the babies early. Too bad that in all the confusion their birthday meals had slipped away. The children started to cannibalize one another and no spawn was safe from the savagery. Black Doom shook his three fingered hands in frustration.

 _"ALL THAT FOR NOT?!"_

 _(On Mobius where all is finally at peace.. The Arisen watch over the planet diligently as the Oppressors never budge from the Flame Core's portal. Many angry demons are pounding on the other side, trying to shove back through. Winter hovers above the city on an island of ice, Crysabella with him.)_

"This is awesome! Everyone is so happy now. No crime, no disease, no hatred." She sighs. "No fear."

Winter smiles and feels content about the world's current situation. He knows he'll always have some sort of dark, gnawing urge in the back of his mind to cause some pain. As long as he completes acts of kindness and charity he can push those thoughts away. Right into the dark, chained up corner of his brain where they belong. There is one thing he wishes to do that might be seen as... questionable.

 _*He looks to his friend as she giggles at his stern face.*_

 _I want to give her her old life back. I give her a warm, living body._

Winter casts his eyes downwards.

 _But that's not approved of in The Light's eyes. If I do this... if I'm caught... I need to find October._

Winter knew that finding his sister October wouldn't be the easiest. Shadow and her and gone on the run when they realized that they had to pick a side, that they couldn't stay anti-heroes or middle men. So Shadow revved up his motorcycle, flipped them a good one, and sped off with October to god knows where. Thorne too had become MIA when the Oppressors had started to sweep the area around his swamp cavern. The angelic demon felt so conflicted.

 _The times when you do make the world a better place for all, you're told exactly the opposite by your homicidal parents. And you have a destructive brother that's also bent on killing humanity._ _ **And**_ _a sister who gets in trouble with authorities for her stupid actions._

Crysabella scrunches her face up and mimics Winter.

"Oh I may look like I'm constipated but I'm reaaaally deep in thought about stuff." 

Winter lets out half a laugh. "How did you know I was constipated?"

"Ew Winter stop." Bella says as she pushes his arm.

Winter makes mock fart sounds as Bella gags. Then Winter's serious face comes back.

"Hey... I think I know a way to bring you back to life."

 _(To Shadow and October who have found a shanty little hut in the desert.)_

Shadow peeks through the crooked shutters, holding a pistol in his left hand. Nothing is outside spare for the tumbleweeds blowing with the sands. October is lighting old fashioned lanterns with her fire and the dusty room illuminates. Shadow slouches against the drafty wooden wall.

"We should remain undetected as long as we stay inside. Damn, I still have to pay this months rent yet. This was bad timing."

October pulled up a potato crate and sat across from him.

"I paid it when we had left. I knew this was coming somehow. All of it."

Shadow replied with, "If you knew, you should have told me so I could prepare! I feel so stupid for fleeing all the time but I would lose if I fought alone."

"I'm here. We could mop the floor with their butts!"

"October stop! No we can't. We can't act like reckless punks. I'm past that."

October stood up and turned her head upwards. "Well I'm sure as sin not! I'm going to show them to leave us alone by putting them in their place!"

Shadow shoved her into a pile of crates and pointed his finger under her chin. With a single exhale of hot air he scolded her.

"YOU will listen to ME! I say don't be AN IDIOT!"

October patted the side of his face and smiled.

"Nice try Shadow, but I've never been afraid of your threats."

"If you do this... you're on your own. I'm not going to rescue you so you better have a plan." He turned away from her and crossed his arms. "Do whatever you like."

October opened the shack's door just as the final sandstorm of the day was brewing.

"I wouldn't except a rescue even if I am caught. Have fun groveling."

She closed the flimsy door and left one pissed off ultimate life form behind. Shadow soon sighed defeatedly and treaded on after her.

 _She's so damn stubborn! But I do kind of see where she gets it from._

 _(Lastly, to Thorne. He had found his hideaway in some underwater ruins from long ago. He had also made a friend too.)_

Thorne had just swam back to his newly found home, creating green algae as he swam. This was so he could not be spotted. His green crystal scales glowed with an inner light so he could forewarn his friend that he was coming back. He crawled on all fours until he was far enough on land to stand up. A sail breached the top of the water in a little pond in the middle of the carved ruin stone. A demoness spinosaurus walked on her two hind legs out of the water. ( _Because spinosaurus walked on_ _ **two**_ _legs, not four..._ _ **scientists**_ _._ _ **Or**_ _have some weird ass dent in its sail. Anyways...)_

"Hello Cillah. How is the water today?" Thorne ask her as she stretches her tail.

"In the pond it's marvelous. The lake water is a bit nippy but if you swam in it it's not too bad." Cillah stated as she laid down in front of Thorne. "Anyone around who shouldn't be?"

Thorne sighed and sat down besides her. "No. We are fine right where we are. But here."

 _*He tosses her a man's head. She smacks his face in anger.*_

"Why did you do that?! Now they'll know we are here certainly!"

Thorne grabs her snout and pulls her face close to his. "I was careful. Don't do that again."

Cillah rubs her snout when he lets go and snarls at him. Then she slips back into the pond and watches him with evil eyes until he turns his back to her. Thorne smiles deviously. That got her to notice him.


	19. Special Guests

Iris and Mephiles were so happy that they had the ship to themselves. Unfortunately for them, that happiness didn't last long. In fact, it only lasted five seconds. Everyone had escaped and was standing behind them, wiping the alien slime off of themselves. A familiar face had peered upon her and smiled with its jagged teeth. She pretended to not have looked but he came over happily anyways. It was Mask-Weaver. The demon's interest in her just fell short of a sick obsession. Mask-Weaver stopped in mid greeting when he saw Mephiles. He walked the rest of the way slowly, never breaking eye contact with Mephiles. The four armed demon peeled his white, veiny eyes away from the dark one and looked to his delicate flower.

He just about forgave her for what she had done to him.

"I'm so glad you are here with me. Your daughter is quite the fighter." He said as she stared at him.

Iris put a hand to her face in disbelief. "You have... found your body."

Mask-Weaver nodded. "I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to assist you and... him. I knew you would use me for something cruel and unusual."

"So you don't care?"

He shakes his head. "Nope. I will still support you. I like it when you're the dominant one . 3"

Iris put a hand to her forehead. _He enjoyed betrayal? What is wrong with him._

"I am but your pawn, waiting anxiously for my turn to move across the board. To serve and protect the queen." Mask-Weaver says as he bows and blows her kisses. Then he crawls around on the ceiling on all fours.

Iris makes a disgusted laughing sound and drifts into the background. While trying to look inconspicuous she runs into a silky, black haired guinea pig. A red and blue half-moon betta fish swims in the portable tank that his companion pulls. The chubby pig greets her loudly, squeaking somewhat as he talks.

"It's still so strange to be able to speak words. Why when I was regular old me I just slept in my timothy hay all day. No worries. Life was so simple. Oh my! I didn't see you there ma'am. My name is JoJo. This guy over here is Ryuu."

Ryuu swims up to the surface and pops his head out of the water. His wonderfully colored fins trial behind him like a bride's veil. "Hello there."

"You're a very put together fish. Very unique. What kind of fish are you?" Iris asks as Ryuu lays on top of his carved skull decoration. It's red jeweled eyes sparkle as the lights hit them.

"I'm a betta fish. I have this whole bubble to myself. Like the decor?"

Blue glass stones are at the bottom of the tank, and besides his skull is a piece of purple and black seaweed.

"It's very minimal. Makes it look spacious. Why no friend?"

Ryuu fans out his gills and expands his fins. "I don't want a buddy. This is my space."

"We came from the same home. We somehow got dragged into this universe and turned into well... this." JoJo says as he smoothes down his round tummy with his black paws.

"You were regular animals, then? House pets?" Mephiles asks as he comes out of nowhere to join the conversation.

"Mephiles what is a house pet?" Iris asks, very confused by this.

Mephiles shakes his head as the odd two nod yes in response.

"Nothing important to know about."

"I miss her a lot. She's been there for me for six years now. She held me as I purred and ate baby carrots, snuggling into the warm towel I was wrapped in." JoJo said.

"Yeah I liked swimming up to her every morning waiting for my flakes and shrimp pieces. She thought I was very cute when I paddled my little fins and puffed my gills at her." Ryuu said in response as he sighed out bubbles. "I want her to admire my wonderful colors again."

JoJo squeaked. "I miss veggies!"

As the two pets talked to one another the demons slipped away. They waited in an off to the side commons room as the excitement died down. They could hear talking from the other side. The attack alarm lights were still going off and changed from red to yellow. The aliens attack had broken the locking mechanisms. Eggman's secret room that Fleetway had escaped from now had opened containment chambers. Biolizard was sleeping in his so he wasn't trying to get out, but Dark Gaia was. Using his elongated finger, he pushed on the front glass. It toppled forwards and shattered into many pieces. The creature came out and smiled hideously, surprising Orbot and Cubot.

"Run awaaaaay!" They both yelled as they threw their hands into the air.

Dark Gaia cast a questioning glance out of the ship's window and shook his head.

 _Where in the world am I? Oh, I was captured by the human. What does he want with me now?_

Dark Gaia thought as he now recalled Eggman from the last time. He had tried to use him to conquer the world, but that had failed. He sat there pondering as he was being stared at like a bright neon sign by Eggman.

 _What is your problem? Can't you just leave me alone?_

Eggman blinked. "What?"

 _I know you heard me. I'm talking directly into your brain. Do you not comprehend my words?"_

"You can speak?" Eggman asked as he walked backwards. He stumbled and held onto the wall.

 _You never tried talking to me to before, so now I'll do it for you. Why did you do this to me?!_

Dark Gaia picks up Eggman and holds him close to his jaws filled with teeth.

 _You had better take me home right this instant. I'll eat you alive if you don't!"_

Eggman pleaded with the entity to release him and he would. Being the liar that he is, he ran out of the room and metal shutters sealed everything up. Dark Gaia roared in anger and banged against the ship hard. He clawed at the wall and left scratches on the surface. It seemed like every time he charged the wall, the ship was rocking back and forth. As the ship continued to sway back and forth, Eggman sent in a group of robots to tranquilize Dark Gaia. The massive beast fell to the ground in slumber, making the whole ship jump up. Eggman was stalling over the intercom, telling everyone the ship's stabilizers were a bit wonky but were being fixed.

Orbot and Cubot gave away his hidden plans when they accidentally spoke over the intercom that Dark Gaia was back in containment. He had many angry villains waiting at his doorstep.


	20. The Brother

Shadow followed October across the desolate landscape as the orange sand engulfed them in a plume. Shadow couldn't quite catch up with October and he screamed her name out in panic. All sound had been drowned out due to the hissing winds of the vicious storm. Shadow was getting tossed sideways and gripped a rock that was just jutting out of the sand. October flew back around and grabbed Shadow tightly. Holding him tightly to her midsection, she continued to pump her strong monarch wings and propelled them through the whole storm. All the while she had some sort of mild flame shield that wrapped around them, making the sand turn into fine fragments of a strange golden glass. Shadow watched this incredible phenomena unfold before him.

"The storm is over now Shadow, time to start walking again. Unless your cozier in there." October said as she cradled Shadow and then placed him down.

Shadow regained his composure and grabbed her hand suddenly. He squeezed it tightly and she squeezed even harder back. Shadow pulled his hand away and humphed. October made a weird face.

 _What was that for? Was that some form of compassion from him?_

Shadow stared unblinkingly at the end of the desert before him.

 _How is it possible? I was created as the ultimate life form, I should be the strongest hedgehog to ever exist. She's only a few years old but her strength is becoming far greater than my own._

Shadow casts a sideways glance at October who is following behind him.

 _Iblis must be the contributing factor to her ever growing strength. Her body is his vessel. I'm not surprised that he had decided to jump ship from Blaze to her. I guess he wanted to keep it in the family._

A bright orb appeared over the horizon and had started to fall to the earth at a rapid pace. Catching both of their attentions, they watched as it smashed to the ground several miles away. It left a massive red streak that lasted for a minute before dissapating and leaving no sign it had been there at all.

"What was that?" October asked Shadow as she grabbed his hand in response to the sight.

Shadow smirked at her and gave her hand a good squeeze. "It's okay. I don't know what that was. I have a strange feeling, something I have felt before."

Shadow sped in the direction of the fallen object. He used his rocket shoes to efficiently glide on the sand, getting more out of his boosts. He reached the scene in half a minute and didn't believe his ruby eyes. A black stone space craft with crimson gems had been cracked open, spilling the contents inside. Shadow saw that Black Doom lay under a pile of alien technology motionless. He felt for a pulse along the carotid artery. There was none.

"Black Doom...? What were they doing in this galaxy?" Shadow asked himself out loud. "They knew they couldn't come back here because I would kill them."

"Know them from somewhere, Shadow?" October asked coolly as she dug through some weird lumpy rubble.

"Yes. It's quite a story. One I do not want to retell."

October tilted her head to her side as she saw a black and red tip poke out of the lumps. She wrapped her hand around it and yanked upwards. Whatever it was attached to groaned and shot it's head up.

"Hey! What's going on here?!" Eclipse shouted as he opened his glowing yellow eyes with lightning bolt pupils. "Wha..."

October pulled the creature out and held it close to her torso. Shadow was occupied searching elsewhere so October sheltered him in a bush. Eclipse backed away from her and tried to swing at her with his tail.

"Stay away you creepy girl! Why oh why are there more of them?!" Eclipse said panic kingly as October held him down against the ground. Her intense orange and purple eyes examined him closely.

"You are what Shadow hates so much? You are just a little thing." October said as Eclipse grabbed her wrist with his three fingered hand.

"I am full grown! Don't speak to me like I am a kid." The alien said as she smiled widely. "Shadow... you said Shadow?!"

She nodded.

 _Shadow... now is the time to kill him once and for all! He has caused me so much grief, so much pain to the Black Arms. Well, what's left now. The Xorda have surely won now that we are on the brink of extinction._

"Who are the Xorda? *gasp* Are you endangered?"

"Uh...! Stay out of my head!" Eclipse yelled at her silently. "You're not even the same race as me how can you just go and do that?"

October crawled closer to the alien and put her hands on his lap. "Because I can. Let me see what you do."

Eclipse couldn't pull away, he couldn't unlock his gaze from hers. October put her crystal hands around the sides of his face and leaned in closer to him. She could hear his breathing and two hearts racing wildly in panic. She started to simulate breathing, her heart acting as if it was alive as well. Memories of his were now hers and she was reliving them for herself.

When she came to, she whispered softly into his ear. "You and Shadow are related. He shares the same DNA coding as you."

"October!" Shadow says angrily as he ripped the bush up from the ground. "What are you doing with THIS little shit?!"


	21. Strange Attractions

"Shadow are you a full on alien as well?" October asked as she grew excited over this new information. "That's so neat! No wonder you're shorter than Sonic."

"I'm not short! I'm a mix of alien and hedgehog, not full on Black Arms." Shadow remarked as he grabbed Eclipse by his leg. Eclipse tried kicking at his face but soon had his foot grabbed by October.

October dragged the tips of her claws across the bottom of his foot and Eclipse hoarsely laughed. Shadow dropped his brother back on the ground as October tickled him harder.

"Stop! STOP! HAHAH!"

October grabbed onto one of his sharp yellow teeth, making Eclipse suddenly nervous. Eclipse was beyond weirded out at this point and watched in horror as she formed her mouth. Opening it wide, she stuck out her long black tongue and exposed her two rows of canine teeth. Eclipse freaked out and bit down on her hand. October instinctively slapped him but when she did, he went flying into Shadow. Shadow got angry and shoved him off of him. He put a pistol to his brother's head.

"I'll kill you if you come near me again." Shadow said as Eclipse got up slowly, rubbing his cheek that felt very sore. He spat out mucus.

"No Shadow I want to know more about him." October said as she grabbed onto Eclipse again and held his head against her thigh. "I think you should both play nicely."

Eclipse shot Shadow a frightened and blushing look once he realized where she had him. Shadow stood seething, no words to be formed from his frowning lips.

"Go ahead. Be his friend. Let's see if he becomes yours." He smirks. "Though seeing him like this makes me feel better. Trembling before me... and mostly you. You should be the best of friends."

"I'm glad you see it that way Shadow. If only to see him suffer, which he is not!" October squeezes him harder. She whispers to the little alien. "Don't worry about him. I'll see to it he won't hurt you."

Eclipse, shaking from being so cold, nodded and huddled into a little ball. Why did misfortune always have to find him?

October saw Eclipse shivering and sat down next to him. Eclipse sighed.

"Yes?"

October didn't say anything, but she did watch as the boy trembled.

"What? You're so strange just staring at me all this time. WHAT!?"

"What is it like to have a beating heart?"

"What? How can you not have working organs? You're alive aren't you?"

October shrugged. "Well... I'm not alive in the way you think I am."

"You don't need to breathe, then?"

"No I just do it to fit in..heh if that's what I want to call it. I cannot use oxygen because my heart does not work. My blood is not red so it isn't oxygenated." October says as she cuts her smooth stone palm. "See?"

Dark blue blood falls onto the ground as her cut heals up within a second.

"I also heal very rapidly. I have no use for consuming perishable food items, or drinking clear water..."

"Do you eat anything?" Eclipse asked as he came closer to her. "At all?"

October bit her lip. "Well I... let's say I absorb."

"What?"

"Lives."

Eclipse blinked a few times. "What I'm sorry I must have slime in my ear holes. Lives?"

She nodded.

"Yours, and other living beings who are of mortal nature."

"So you can't die?"

"That is correct."

Eclipse pushed out his hands in front of him and grimaced.

"You were dropped when you were an egg weren't you?!"

"No. I can give you a demonstration."

"Please no..."

Too late, October had already stared dead center into his eyes and pressed her hand against his chest. Eclipse felt dread coming up from the bottom of him and soon found it difficult to breathe. Very difficult. He gasped and choked until he saw a very faint light arise from his lips. He felt like he was on the precipice of death. Then, she broke eye contact and felt his soul slip down inside of him.

"You'd think your body would protect that more for you." October said as Eclipse scooted away from her again. "Hey you were the one who didn't take my word for it."

"Come on, time to get going. We're burning daylight here." Shadow said as Eclipse and October begrudgingly got up.

They all continued to walk in a straightforward path until they came across a confusing winding road, dotted here and there with some fig trees. There was a plank hanging on one of the trees that pointed to a trading village to the west.

"We should continue straight, there's no time to stop anywhere." Shadow said so determinedly that he hadn't noticed that Eclipse and October had gone towards the village.

"We really should stay at an inn for the remainder of the day. Also Eclipse is hungry so we should find a food stall so he can get some nourishment." October said as she nodded sternly. "Yes that is the responsible thing to do."

"No October you just want to be a pain, again." Shadow said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But I've run out of steam for the day so you should be so lucky."

"Like I said, we should stay at an inn. No need for you two to push yourselves to your physical limitations."

"I agree with her, Shadow. Please let me find something edible. I did just fall from space a few hours ago." Eclipse said as October smiled happily.

"Fine. But you're paying for whatever he eats. And he does eat alot."


	22. Grandfather Gaia

"I knew you'd be a sleaze ball and keep secrets from us!" Scourge yelled out as the more rambunctious villains kicked at the door.

Eggman came out in his egg carrier and had made sure his force field was up before addressing the issue.

"Okay okay so I haven't told you about this little feature of the ship but that didn't hurt anybody, huh right?" Eggman asked as the echidna group known as Dark Legion cut through the steel door Eggman had sealed up again.

The echidnas ushered everyone who was curious through to see what exactly had been going on all this time. They were surprised that such big creatures could be so quiet so as to not be detected until now. They had been drifting in the craft for some time now. Almost all of them had not seen such massive animals before and felt small when comparing themselves. Especially when the largest, Dark Gaia, was glaring at them with detest in his restraints.

Dark Gaia sniffed the air when he smelled something that seemed out of place. He had caught a whiff of pungent flowers that wafted about. The mortals of course smelled wonderfully putrid due to the damned nature of their souls, but then there were those flowers.

Dark Gaia used his huge green eyes to scout the crowd for the little girl he had not seen in a century.

Iris and Mephiles were hiding away in the back where the shadows were until he had pointed them out.

 _You, in the back._

Dark Gaia told her telepathically as she stepped forwards. Iris curiously tilted her head at the ancient demon.

 _Yes?_

Dark Gaia ripped his hand free of the restraint as everyone took a collective sway back, ready to defend themselves. He didn't attack. Instead, he laid his hand down flat so she could go on it. She did so cautiously and became alerted once he wrapped his hand around about all of her body. She made her aura become fiercely aggressive as he yelled out in pain and dropped her.

 _What are you doing you silly girl?! Listen to me!_

 _Who do you think you are my father?!_

 _Kind of..._

"What?" She questioned in surprise. What sort of game was he trying to win?

The giant demon nodded.

 _You've never seen me but I have seen you. I am your grandfather, and I'd also like to meet my grandson._

"Your my grand dad? Where were you for so long?" Iris asked as she crossed her hands over her chest.

 _I've been hibernating in the world's core for some time now. That human keeps finding me and doing this. I swear I'm gonna break his spirit to pieces._

"Just ignore his stupidity. His time on this plane is almost up anyways. When he arrives downstairs I'll give him to you as a gift, okay?" Iris says as Eggman's face becomes worried.

Dark Gaia talked with Iris more as she explained to him that he actually had seven grand children in total, along with being a great grandfather due to her children. She also told him that she had found the man of her nightmares and was still with him. Mephiles came up to Dark Gaia and talked with him as well. Arrion didn't arrive until later and he didn't even know what to make of his newfound grandfather. The others lost interest fairly quickly and began to file out into the corridor.

 _(Now for something out of place and Eastery! Little Cream is watching a holiday special on the television. The Tale of Jacqueline Cottontail.)_

"Mommy, are the eggs cool enough to dye yet?" Cream questioned as she was decked out in her spring dress, sun hat, and shoes. Cheese nibbled on his little chocolate covered daffodils and pansies Cream had gotten for him at the pet store uptown.

"Alright come on out and have fun." Cream's mom said as she finished stirring the dye in the eye shaped cups. She also turned on the tv in the kitchen and Cream continued to watch her special as she worked.

 _Jacqueline lost the race to be Easter Bunny to Iron Tail's daughter, Jackie 'Bloodtail' Rabbit. All because she didn't listen to her father and get rest the night before. Jackie laughed at the huddled crowd below and exclaimed._

 _"Now the valley is in my control! How father would be so pleased to see me carry on his work. Now.. what are you all waiting for?! Start making those chocolate tarantulas and octopi!"_

Cream gazed up to the tv while she had just gotten done decorating her sixth egg with edible orange glitter. The mean brown rabbit with the red stained tail mocked the good white furred rabbit as she swung around her black Easter basket. Skipping to the end of the show here...

 _Jacqueline then knew what she had to do. She came up to the balcony where Jackie had been, and extended her paw towards her before she could fall off._

 _"I know that you have been persecuted in the past. I know that is the real reason why you detest the people of May Valley so but, listen to me. We can start a new tradition of there being two Easter Bunnies. You have some good ideas and I'd like for us to be partners."_

 _Jackie shakes her head and scoffs at the white rabbit._

 _"Says you, the biggest bully I've ever had to deal with. You were the one who lead your friends to believe that I needed to be dealt with, so you sent them after me and had them permanently dye the underside of my tail scarlet red. You aren't my friend and you never will be! You'll always be as fake as the plastic eggs you produce for the Easter egg hunt!"_

 _And with that, Jackie fell down the side of the building. But it was not long before she shot back up into the sky on the back of her pet bat and flew back to the rotting tree stump she called home. End._

"I wonder what becomes of Jackie after that." Cream says as she put the completed eggs in the glass bowl on the counter, spreading some paper Easter grass for extra effect.

"Chao!" Cheese says as he places the bowl inside of the fridge.

Cream goes to the sink to wash her hands of the residual dye as Vanilla cleans up and prepares the kitchen for Easter supper. The little girl sighs and looks out of the window, watching the nesting birds guard their homes. What a wonderful, warm holiday this turned out to be.

 _(Have a Happy Easter Everybody! :D)_


	23. Meeting the Girls

Since Eggman had seen that Dark Gaia was relatively harmless and not a mindless beast, he allowed for him to come onto the main part of the ship freely. Dark Gaia found the lowly ceiling hard for him to maneuver around under and had to constantly duck, which was uncomfortable to do all the time. He gave up his slithering and just curled his tail around himself as he sat down. Arrion stayed with him and told him all about the world's happenings.

 _So the others have been pushed back into the Flame Core huh? I figured they would strike within the next ten years. They know that your sister's rise to power can spell out their doom. Once she sits upon the throne she will control the lands as well as the people. She is limited in what she can do the time being._

Arrion nodded his head as his pink quills bobbed with him. "I didn't know that. Of course, I wasn't ever going to rule so how could I...?"

He looked at the ground in jealousy.

He could be just a good of a ruler as she, only he wasn't born a precious girl. And she was slightly older than him, too. His special ability never got him where he wanted to be.

 _What is the matter child? Why do you look so vexed?_ Dark Gaia thought as he used a finger to smooth the top of Arrion's head.

"Nothing, nothing at all." He said under his breath as he turned around and began to walk away, cross.

Dark Gaia understood what bothered him know from his body language. Maybe, if he really wanted to, he could help his grandson come to power. Maybe... if there was something to gain. Or perhaps he should let Iris rein and see what happens. After all, it's what **his** queen would have wanted.

Iris let Mephiles to go back to their room and start redecorating as she went to the lady's showering room. There were generic metal showering areas divided by curtains if one desired more privacy, cabinets that held bottled soap and hair products, and a small room off to the side where a toilet was concealed. The men's showering room was off to the left and looked exactly like the womans.

"All this metal isn't good for anyone's health. He doesn't believe in sprucing up the place does he?" Iris said to herself as she reached back and pulled on her corset laces.

She shrugged her black skin dress off and shook it out. Putting it over the half wall, she let it air out. She stomped her crystalline high heels on the floor and they broke into pieces, revealing her actual, long clawed feet. The crystal underwear she had formed around her more delicate areas retreated, leaving her fully bare. Running the over head shower until it became hot, she pulled the drapes around her. Soon she heard the automatic door open and a gaggle of girls come inside. Wave, Fiona, Lien-Da, and Rouge all came pouring in, talking somewhat to one another. Iris listened to their idle pratter half-heartedly.

" Scourge thinks he's so high and mighty, just because he was a king once. That sort of snobby air has never left him since. It's making it hard to breath with all of that stale air around." Fiona says to Wave as she nods.

Wave snaps her beak sharply. "Yeah Jet has that problem as well. He should stop while he has the chance to, otherwise I'll super glue that mouth of his shut."

Rouge laughs. "Well at least I don't have to worry about Knuckles most of the time. It's only when I get close to the Master Emerald he notices I'm there."

Lien-Da scoffs. "Don't mention that sorry excuse for an echidna."

"Hey look! There are crystals on the floor here." Rouge points out before picking them up. She grunts as she can just barely contain them all within her arms. "How unusual you are little treasures."

Rouge was so infatuated with the items that she hadn't noticed their sharp edges cutting into her arms.

"Rouge! Be careful with how you hold those!" Wave said as she prepared her bath.

Rouge dropped them onto the ground as a loud ringing filled the metal room. They rolled down the slightly sloping floor, reflecting the artificial light from above and basking the place in an eerie glow.

The girls were quiet as a creepy feeling settled over the place. They shoved the crystals into a corner and covered them over with towels. The eerie light vanished but the atmosphere was still strange.

"Co- come on! Let's freshen up and leave already." Lien-Da said as the others got themselves ready.

The girls continued to talk to one another in whispers between shower curtains as Iris tried to slip away silently. She floated above the floor so they couldn't notice her going by the stalls and swept up her dress with her right arm. She slipped back into it after she dried herself off and quickly fluffed her quills while looking into the mirror. But, she got stuck looking at her reflection because she just loved it so much. She didn't notice the girls had been done bathing and were all standing behind her, watching her preen. Iris noticed them out of the corner of her eye and gripped the sink tightly, crushing the sides inwards. All of the mirrors around her had shattered and shot shards into the walls.

"Hey relax!" Fiona said in surprise as Rouge jumped backwards. "Who are you?...What the heck are you?"

Iris glared at them in anger as her pupils constricted into pencil thin lines. Her silver irises intensified as her sclera was tinged black. She didn't speak but let her body language do all the talking for her.

"I asked you who you are. That means, tell us." Fiona demanded as she put her gloved hand to a hip.

"Maybe you shouldn't push the issue Fiona, she obviously isn't friendly." Rouge told Fiona as Fiona gritted her teeth.

"Maybe you should go now, Rouge."

 _Maybe you should listen to the bat, princess..._

Fiona stomped her foot.

"What? So now you talk you little bi-!"

 _ **Slam!**_

Something invisible hit the feisty fox right in her gut as she front flipped forward.

Fiona stayed pinned to the ground as she hurled up the potato chips she consumed earlier. She shivered as if she had the flu and faltered with her words. Lien-Da and Wave split, wanting nothing to do with the trouble Fiona caused. Rouge stood there paralyzed as she prayed to be spared.

 _Watch the profanity, princess. That's not how a royal behaves in public._

With that, Iris hit the back of her head with one of her scorpion tails and knocked her out.

Rouge became unfrozen in her lessoning panic and held her breath as the supernatural woman walked by.

 _Rouge._

Iris looked at Rouge and into her eyes. Then, she just continued on her way back to her room.

Rouge finally took off running down the hall but stopped half-way. She had no idea why she stopped but she did.

 _She reminds me of..._


	24. Future Ventures

_Why does everybody seems to find me when they're_ _ **not**_ _looking for me intentionally? What..what is this Mephiles?_

Iris thought to herself as she continued through the barren hallway that lead to their room. A massive liquid like blob had attached itself to the door and had appeared to consume it entirely. She poked it as it wriggled.

"Hey, let me in."

A giant green and red eye formed from the goop and squinted.

 _Password._

"Mephiles is an ass." Iris said smugly as the eye glared at her.

 _Really?_

"Yep. That's my password. Come on love let me in."

The darkness grabbed her and pulled her through to the other side. Their room was pitch dark, spare for a couple of dark blue candles lit and placed in the corner. She saw the light gleam in his eyes as he came into focus. The gray of his stripes defined his otherwise black fur.

"It's very cozy, but where is the decor?" Iris asked as he pointed to the candles.

"No, candles does not decor make. What about the walls? The bed? Hold on give me a minute." Iris said as she went over to the bed frame and started to bend the wire frame.

Mephiles raised an eye in question as he watched he go about 'decorating.'

 _Well I thought I did pretty good. Damn her and her creative ideas._

Iris smiled as moved along the room in a frenzied dance. When she had finally finished she sat down on the bed as Mephiles clapped once.

"Alright. That was... amusing."

"See how lively the room is now?!" Iris said as she examined her handiwork and nodded to herself. "I'm amazing."

"What a big ego you have there, my dear." Mephiles said as he laid back on the bed, fluffing the pillows.

"I didn't know you were Little Red Ridinghood, honey pie."

"Who?"

"Wow never mind then." Iris said as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I hope we aren't to be on this ship for years."

He turned his head towards her and spoke lowly. "We were almost rid of them all. Too bad that can't happen again..."

Iris' eyes lit up with life. "What are you saying?"

Mephiles stared at her as she started to see where he was going with this. She came closer to his ear.

"You want to imprison them, or something else?"

He caressed her face with the back of his gloved hand. "I really want to do something to get rid of them. Permanently."

In that instant, she had the outline of a plan in her head. A plan that could give them both the advantage.

She grinned wickedly as she filled his attentive ears with promises of death.

"They can be useful for something after all..." Mephiles replied as he bobbed his head in agreement. "What about if we also..."

Iris giggled as he went more in detail about specific things to insure it succeeded. She smooched his pale cheek, leaving a plum colored kiss mark where her lips had been. He slapped his hand against his muzzle and blushed violet. Then he picked up his ears and concentrated.

"Silence." He mouthed as he pressed his finger against her lips. "Someone has been listening."

Sure enough, they picked up the sound a heartbeat and felt a heat signature extremely close to the front door. Mephiles put his eye to the door of darkness and saw Bean had his head against the wall, trying to listen in he guessed. A tendril that had been resting along the door frame snaked its way across the floor and yanked Bean down with a tug.

"What's going on?! What in the sam hell be this thing?!" He yelled as he tugged and tried biting the ugly vine that was wrapped around his ankle tightly.

He yelped in pain as it constricted even more. Mephiles fazed through the door and crossed his arms.

"You know, it's considered rude to eavesdrop..."

The green duck swallowed a lump in his throat and demanded that he be let go.

Mephiles scrunched up his nose. "What gall. You shall demand nothing of me, worm."

And what a happy coincidence that Knack had been looking for him and happened down the hall. Imagine that.

"Oi! Stop right there. Leave my pal alone." Knack, the purple weasel with a cowboy hat said.

Mephiles stopped what he was doing and released Bean from his clutches. Bean scrambled over to Knack.

"Thanks! You always were a good bloke Knack."

Knack gives a fanged smile and tilted his hat. "Of course, you're my best mate."

The evil hedgehog watches unblinkingly as the two leave.

 _You're lucky that I can't kill anybody aboard this ship. That doesn't mean I will forget this encounter, though. Your forms... I will remember._

Mephiles thinks as he goes back into the room. He doesn't approve of his neighbors curious looks either. His neighbors being Fiona Fox and the notorious, womanizing Scourge. He watched as Scourge snickered to himself and closed the door.

 _(Scourge POV)_

"What a weirdo." I said as Fiona came up behind me and rubbed my shoulders.

"Relax babe, you're all tensed up for nothing."

I scoff.

"I guess. I get the feeling something is about to go down, though. Maybe I just need a nap."

Fiona assures me in a nice voice that I have nothing to worry about. I take of my red glasses and toss them aside. I pinch the bridge between my eyes and bare my teeth.

"I hate being the fuck here."

"Well if it interests you, I have a story to tell. The most bizarre thing happened today." Fiona says as she grits at the mention of it. "How would you like to help out your girl with her problems?"

I look at her with interested blue eyes. "What's wrong?"

She looks from side to side, then tells me what happened.

"Take care of her for me. Any way possible."

"Wow Fiona, aren't you peeved?" I ask rhetorically as I hide my smirk.

She smacks my face with her tail.

"Just do something about it."

I open the door and blow a kiss back to her.

"Whatever you want, hot stuff."


End file.
